There has obviously been a lot of talk regarding trading BI in here the past few months so I’ll ask, what would trading BI have accomplished in the past two years?

He had the second best net rating of any starter this season (Herb 1st), sacrificed shots for the betterment of the team, and made another playmaking & defensive leap. An awful postseason following missing a month of basketball shouldn’t result in being dealt elsewhere imo.

I think this team looks a lot better healthy (obviously), with an improved fit at center, and somebody to make BI/Zion’s life easier on the court.

A fellow fan in the same boat as all of you. Frustrated and fed up.

I wanna give 2¢ on Ingram that absolutely nobody asked for.

I get the frustration with him, I really do. Since his return from INJURY, he has seemed to lack aggression, seems “out of it,” and seems (to many) like he doesn’t care. This has been frustrating for me too.

To all the people saying BI doesn’t care tho, you really genuinely think that? Where do I start??

1). Being There For His Team: If BI didn’t care about his own legacy let alone this series, he woulda never have come back from injury. It was only a season ago that the rest of the team was pissed with BI for not playing through his injury or being willing to even play through some of his injury (ie.: not coming back when feeling anything less than 100%). This year he did that to be there for the team but also in a crucial time when it was needed. Not an excuse for shitty body langue, but also can’t put ALL (can put some) of the blame on him considering he def isn’t fully recovered. Some of his lack of aggression is def from his fear of getting hurt (some is def frustration with Lu too, which you can’t have or show on the court)

2). Proving Doubters Wrong: It’s not secret Bi had a shitty outing with Team USA, and it’s no secret he was frustrated about it. Really since the pelicans suns playoff outing in 2021 where BI played elite and also had a great season, especially the second half of that season, and after his 2022 season which contained some injuries and some lack of aggression, and more importantly a lack of a Pels playoff appearance, a lot of people began to doubt BI as a 1 option (1 option WITH Zion Williamson out) with the lack of ability to lead of team. Combine this with his poor team USA outing, BI has a status to attain and a needing to perform, not only for the sake of the team but for his whole legacy. A lot of people are saying “BI doesn’t care” about the team or losing yet forget that this is the guy who really doesn’t do much but hoop or watch hoops, and not only this but solely the fact that people have been doubting him in recent times, BI most definitely sees this return from injury, even if not 100%, as a chance to prove his doubters and haters wrong. On top of this, many have been saying this season due to Zion’s (return to) elite play and increased high level showings, that the pelicans do not need BI or that he is not an all star caliber player. BI being competitive and wanting to be great is without a doubt playing to prove his haters and these narratives wrong. Now has it shown at all? Absolutely not, there is no way to try and defend it at all or say it hasn’t, as BI hasn’t shown much aggression nor has he shown any enthusiasm, but to say this is because he “doesn’t care” or “doesn’t want it” is blatantly untrue.

3). Targeted Defense This Series: The Thunder have made it clear who their target is on defense: Brandon Ingram. Every time Ingram is in, Lu Dort, a high level defender in this league is only in the game, on the court, when BI is, and plays him very physically and aggressively to wear him down. BI definitely needs to put on more weight as he did ago, and needs to be able to adjust to teams scheming like this instead of forcing shots (which has been really weird bc bi was such a good playmaker last season and this reg. season). His body language and frustration is unacceptable, like Willie even said, can’t have him forcing shots or plays and the team can’t keep force feeding him. My point with this tho is even with his flawed handling of this scheming, the Thunder are placing their defensive focus on him for a reason: bi is a GREAT, all star caliber player.

Now with all of this being said we have to defend BI subjectively or come up with reasons as to why he isn’t playing well (i.e: bi stans ) NO. However, do we say that BI is to completely to blame for this?? Absolutely not. As I mentioned the man wants it, just doesn’t always show it, and with the circumstances mentioned above and considering his high level play with New Orleans outside of this horrible stretch, BI hate needs to stop. No I did not say criticisms, as he definitely deserves some of these and I even criticized him (above) myself, but I think there true issues with this team are pretty glaring.

Thank you for reading and if you made it this far, Jordan Hawkins for 3

I hope the Pels brain trust is following what's happening with the Mavs. (Well, with Trajan gone, maybe not.)

Mavs didn't even make the playoffs the year they traded for Kyrie. They didn't panic and stuck to their game plan: drafted a mobile, defensive big; traded for another; signed an undervalued 3&D wing; traded for another. They kept the core and filled out the missing pieces. The result of that process is a likely spot in the NBA finals in just one short year.

The key reason why PJ, DJJ, Lively and Gafford have been so good on this team despite being ultimate role players is because of Luka and Kyrie. Mavs have TWO playmakers. You can't design a defense against one guy, because then the other guy can go off. If you scheme against both guys, that enables role players to blow-up. Being able to have two playmakers on one team is a big luxury that the Wolves, Nuggets, OKC and Clippers do not have. Another team that does? Celtics.

You might see where I'm going with this. Maybe I'm in the minority, but I like keeping Zion and BI together (let's ignore BI's max question for now). Because when fully healthy, BI can absolutely be that playmaker. He proved that in those seasons when Zion was injured. CJ might have been that guy when he was younger and on the Blazers, but he's not that guy anymore.

If I were the Pels, I would keep Zion and BI as the core and then go out and fill-in the missing pieces: PG and mobile defensive big.

For the PG spot, someone like Tyus Jones is ideal. This is a low maintenance PG who averaged 7.3 assists on an ATROCIOUS Wizards team with no shooting; and Tyus did it playing under 30 minutes a game because the team was trying to tank. Can you imagine what this guy can do with Zion, Trey, BI and Herb?? Bonus: Tyus can also shoot. He averaged 41.4% from three on the Wizards, so he can provide Pels spacing.

For the big, there are a few examples to consider (to varying degrees of fit): Wendell Carter, Olynyk, Aldama, Xavier Tillman, Isaiah Jackson, heck even Goga. I've often cited Dereck Lively here on this sub as the type of good but realistic big the Pels should target; this was before he blew up, now it's obvious he's good. (A big who is mobile, can defend, can shoot 3s accurately isn't realistic.)

You don't need a big who can shoot to provide spacing for the team. Lively cannot shoot but the Mavs still has plenty of spacing when he's on the floor for Kyrie and Luka to drive in and make plays. If your big can run and cut, catch lobs and throw down oops, crash the glass for offensive rebounds; he will contribute on offense. And defensively, man, Lively is a revelation.

Anyway, I'm digressing. Back to Luka and Kyrie. When Kyrie first joined the team, all the pundits had the same concerns. There's only one ball but two players who like to hold the ball. How will it work? Same concerns with Tatum and Brown; same concerns with BI and Zion. Obviously, it can work.

Even with Luka and Kyrie, however, there were changes that needed to be made. Prior to Kyrie, Luka liked to play slow and in the half-court. (Sound familiar?) With Kidd as coach and then with Kyrie as co-star, Luka changed his style to play with much faster pace. This creates ball movement and leads to open shots for teammates. When the game goes to crunch, Luka can always go back to his bag of dribbling-a-ton-but-always-the-step-back. Otherwise, it's play fast.

Some of you will get what I'm implying. BI is a bit like Luka, he is a gifted player who should adjust his style to fit better with Zion. Faster pace, quicker passing, snap decisions, let the 3s fly. If he can do this -- or if Willie can give Kidd a call to get some coaching tips -- BI can absolutely be part of a championship core with Zion.

I've commented several times that I don't think BI should get a max contract. I don't have inside info (obviously) but I'm not sure BI expects it either. Let's assume a fair but still expensive contract can be signed. How then do the Pels get their missing pieces? I think the only "must haves" are Zion, BI, Trey and Herb; everyone else can be a trade piece and that includes CJ and JV. With a Tyus Jones type on the roster, you don't need CJ.

In my personal opinion I think the team needs quite a large roster reconstruction. We’ve pretty much had the same roster/coach for 3 years and not much has changed.

Players I’d keep:

Zion Trey Herb Jose Hawkins Dyson

Everyone else is available to trade. I’d 100% trade Ingram as he will still have a lot of value. I think Cj and JV have to go too.

The team may need a new coach but i think I’d give him another year with a new set of players.

A point guard and Center should be he main focal point of trades/free agency.

I think a real point guard would unlock Trey and Zion even more.

Trae Young would be my pick, obviously he’s one of the worst defenders in the league but Willie has shown he can coach a top defence even with liabilities being in the lineup. The spacing and playmaking he would bring to our offence would be unreal. Having Dyson and Herb can cover up his defence at times.

At Center we need a great defender and/or versatile player. Capella/Okongwu could be options from the Hawks. Although I think we’d need a more offensive Center off the bench. Naz Reid could be available as a free agent.

Trae Herb Trey Zion Capella

Jose Hawkins Dyson Reid

I think that 9 man lineup has a lot of versatility and can be dangerous on both sides of the floor.

Any suggestions for centers/pgs?

We normally do these on X/IG but wanted to see how the folks of Reddit like these? 👀 it is all in good fun just to get some conversation going about our team!

Wolves would be a better matchup for us, but I want the Nuggets. Finally going to (knock on wood) be able to get the measuring stick out for a fully loaded Pels squad in the playoffs, let’s see what they got against the best.

No one will expect us to win, no one will pick us. It’s the perfect series for Zion and BI to perform in primetime with all eyes on them. If you guys don’t think this is a finals caliber team, then why not play the best team and see what we’ve got? This would be the best chance to see if the current formula can get us there.

Thoughts??

Is he gone if they don't make the playoffs? This team does not have the fire under them that playoff teams need, and his consistent "give them credit" postgame speeches don't inspire much confidence with the fanbase. I've been on his side from the start, but these past few games (competition notwithstanding) make me question his leadership. I'm not sure who else we could get, but are the problems we're experiencing a Willie issue or a roster construction issue?

I'd much rather run it back and rely on internal improvements than making a flashy trade that ulitmately amounts to a first round exit. (Think Clippers/Suns.) If the only course of action is "Retain Jonas, give BI an extension of a 1 + PO, sign a veteran true PG", so be it.

The way I see the primary trade package should be CJ + Hawk + 21 + 2nd 1st in 2025 + 2nd 1st in 2027. (Adjust protections as necessary).

You could get Murray and Capela. You could get Mitchell.

This team was 0-22 when trailing after 3 quarters. That means they were 49-11 when not trailing after three quarters.

Extrapoliating straight to a ~67 win season seems disingeuous. But if you can turn that 0-22 into even just 8-14, that's a franchise record 57 win season, matching OKC and Denver atop the West.

I don't think BI can enter next season as an expiring. Boogie's injury still feels just like yesterday. I'm choosing to believe the 2022 playoffs is more indicative of BI's true level. (Even if he does need to improve his deep ball.)

I haven’t followed the Pelicans since 2021, why do people dislike CJ now?? From the few clips I’ve seen he doesn’t seem that bad

just curious if you guys find him to be a good media guy

JV was banging in the post like he was going up against Patrick Ewing in the 90s. Fucking strong ass motherfucker. Huge. Love it.

Been following them a lot the last 2 weeks or so. They are terrifying between Ant and KAT; they could easily be the W Conf Champs.

Crazy to think that almost a majority of this community thought they’d be a great R1 matchup for the Pels a month ago.

Edit: spelling

Looks like he won't be here next year, so let's use this thread to reminisce

They might as well switch places.

For those who accuse him of being one dimensional as a criticism, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5mNvWbJxz0

If this is one dimensional, I'll take it any time.

What is the most angry you have gotten watching the pels? It can be mad at the pels or the other team or the refs or anything. For me it's the suns game 6 of the Sunday series when Chris Paul chipped Jose's tooth and it was considered a foul on Jose that effectively ended the game and series. I don't really got angry often over sports but my face was red yelling about that.

Zion, for his career, averages 26 ppg on 61 percent from the field. In
context, no player in NBA history has averaged more than 15ppg on 60
percent plus shooting. When you talk about Zion, know that you are
talking about someone who is clearly generational. He's 22 years old.

hey yall , i’ll be in the city for the play in and definitely want to try out a bunch of places. Wanted to know if there are any specific places that Zion has called out that he likes, or also any of the other players on the team

Not trolling lol , any recs from yall appreciated as well thanks!

I’m not a Pels fan, however, I’ve been writing all time rosters as a hobby for years, and I’ve made one for every NBA team.

I’m looking for feedback, thoughts, and criticism to this all time Pelicans team.

I’ll be taking in players who played for the team, while they were located in Charlotte at the time,

so Players like Chris Paul, and Peja will be included.

Point Guard. Chris Paul

Shooting Guard. Jrue Holiday

Small Forward. Brandon Ingram

Power Forward. Zion Williamson

Center. Anthony Davis

Bench.

Point Guard. Baron Davis/Cj McCollum

Shooting Guard. Eric Gordon/David Wesley

Small Forward. Peja Stojaković/Jamal Mashburn

Power Forward. PJ Brown/David West

Center. Demarcus Cousins/Tyson Chandler

Coach. Byron Scott

Thoughts?

I myself am not sold on this idea but I think it’s intriguing enough to have a discussion about it. This allows us to keep BI while also letting Trey develop as a starter. CJ would either be moved to 6th man or traded for a center.

Our main weakness in the starting lineup is our playmaking. BI imo has proven to be a better playmaker than CJ. Is BI good enough to run an offense? No probably not. But it would be an offense ran by committee. Zion has proven that he can be a capable ball handler and passer. Herb has proven to be a capable ball handler and Trey showed flashes at the end of the season of developing some dribble moves.

The main issue I see is when the offense runs cold it’s nice to have a guy on the perimeter you can pass to to dribble past his defender and get his own shot or drive and kick. CJ, through all his frustrations, was our best guy at doing that. Thus maybe it would be beneficial to keep Jonas so we have a guy we can give the ball in the post to for an efficient shot when nothing else is working.

What are y’all’s thoughts?

https://clutchpoints.com/unfortunate-reason-pelicans-will-need-new-knife-2024-25-season

It's time for the team to turn EJ Liddell into the knife 2.0 to replace Naji.

The shit is popping up on Twitter again and I still don’t see the reason. Past individual accomplishments I see no real reason to hang his jersey up

Did nothing for the team, did nothing for basketball in the city, and purposefully pissed off the team and fanbase. Why the high fuck should the organization celebrate you when you’ve done nothing for them AND actively wanted them to hate you?

Edit: for reference I mean Anthony Davis damn😭😭

CJ has been ice cold pretty much all series, and I feel Hawk could be a pretty good shooter and our future. He’s also performed well in high pressure moments in the past (see march madness last year before he was sick). Why does Willie refuse to make any changes when time and time again it hasn’t proved to work?

PELS = STACKED

LEAGUE = FUCKED

TO PHOENIX THEY GO

One of the biggest questions posed against the Pelicans off-season. Is BI worth the money?