Speaker 1: Break was breaking down all the biggest NBA storylines, so
Speaker 1: the Heat Check. The Heat Check was Crista Crak, the
Speaker 1: best podcast covering all the drama around the association. Up
Speaker 1: next is the New Orleans Pelicans. They add Jordan Hawkins
Speaker 1: from Villanova. Not a lot of key substractions, really, I
Speaker 1: don't haven't found any that you can find to be meaningful.
Speaker 1: New Orleans future hopes, just like Memphis, rests on one man,
Speaker 1: Zion first time as a pro. He seems to be
Speaker 1: entering the season that he has taken his training protocol seriously.
Speaker 1: That's he's about as healthy as they've ever said that
Speaker 1: he's been, at least for a guy who's missed about
Speaker 1: half of his career so far. So that's like a step.
Speaker 1: That's one step. Apparently he's been eating well, he's got
Speaker 1: a nutritionist, he's been listening to the heat I said
Speaker 1: this two years ago. As soon as Zion figures that
Speaker 1: a way to limit his portions and find some way
Speaker 1: to take his conditioning seriously, maybe Zion wist stay on
Speaker 1: the court. If he plays a full season, the Pelicans
Speaker 1: are going to be dangerous. They're not gonna ever hurt
Speaker 1: for scoring while he's in the game because he makes
Speaker 1: plays as soon as he's out there every night. There's
Speaker 1: a reason why the Ringer named him one of the
Speaker 1: top five players that's going to define a season. What
Speaker 1: is the problem with the New Orleans Pelicans, You might ask? Defense?
Speaker 1: His defense is a real, real problem. This roster construction
Speaker 1: very strange. Through two preseason games, Zion has looked, shall
Speaker 1: we say, a little lost, like a little lost on defense.
Speaker 1: Is he's not hustle, he's losing his man regularly, still
Speaker 1: doesn't box out. You know, same old Zion shit that
Speaker 1: Stan Van Gundy used to get mad at when he
Speaker 1: was the head coach, like this guy supposed to be
Speaker 1: now the five. When stanman again, he was like, oh yeah,
Speaker 1: that's bullshit. Zion not playing defense. That's why we're putting
Speaker 1: them at the point guard position. It's point Zion. Ah.
Speaker 1: All the joy in my life is point Zion. No, no, no, Now,
Speaker 1: Willie Green has Zion playing the five six' Six zion playing.
Speaker 1: Center his off ball defense has been an absolute. Disaster
Speaker 1: it has been messy as. Fuck are we shocked about? This?
Speaker 1: Though like, no his, defense or his lack of, defense
Speaker 1: to be, exact has been the boat anchor for The
Speaker 1: New Orleans pelicans for a long ass time where they
Speaker 1: have to add new players to the team in order
Speaker 1: to try to protect The zion on, defense and it
Speaker 1: is impacting wins and losses in a way that a
Speaker 1: lot of people are reluctant to. Admit zion has played
Speaker 1: one hundred and fourteen games for The, pelicans and the
Speaker 1: record When zion is on the floor is get, this
Speaker 1: fifty seven and fifty. Seven that's that's not what you
Speaker 1: want from your superstar guy that you took number one
Speaker 1: overall and that is not the only. Issue how about this?
Speaker 1: One him And Brandon. Ingram let's be, real you've seen,
Speaker 1: It you've watched. It it's NOT i don't think working
Speaker 1: the combo is forty six and forty seven when they're
Speaker 1: on the floor. Together SO i don't know how that works.
Speaker 1: EITHER i Like, BI i Like. Zion not SURE i
Speaker 1: Like bi And. Zion you know What i'm. Saying it's
Speaker 1: like that couple where you're, like, OOH i Like, SARAH
Speaker 1: i Like. Marquis sarah And marquis not a. Fit uh
Speaker 1: THEY i don't know if they are really complimenting each.
Speaker 1: Other you know? What i'm SAYING i think they actually
Speaker 1: make each other. WORSE i think they're emphasizing each other's
Speaker 1: weaknesses and stifling each other's strengths at the same exact.
Speaker 1: TIME i think at this point we have enough evidence
Speaker 1: to know that this does not. Work but but but
Speaker 1: not the ONLY i don't want to act Like i'm
Speaker 1: just banging On New. Orleans i'm not like they're a fun,
Speaker 1: team and they were wildly successful When zion was not
Speaker 1: on the, floor and they were a play team and
Speaker 1: they came out with the. Suns so, Like i'm not
Speaker 1: trying to say The pelicans stink or. Anything but there's
Speaker 1: another problem as. Well there's fallout Over Aaron nelson oooh
Speaker 1: big man on, campus the head. Trainer he ran into
Speaker 1: problems With zion to the point Where zion ghosted. Him
Speaker 1: he went To beaverton and he wasn't answering his phone.
Speaker 1: Calls now the guy got. Fired he was supposed to
Speaker 1: be like the, dude and now he's nowhere to be,
Speaker 1: found and no one knows. Why zion's favorite, Coach Teresa,
Speaker 1: weatherspon she has dipsetted peace Up atown. Down she has
Speaker 1: gone to THE. Wnba so there's like a little cultural
Speaker 1: instability stuff going on as well in terms of being
Speaker 1: positive and accentuating the good things about The New Orleans. PELICANS.
Speaker 1: Cg McCollum certainly a good point guard for this. Team
Speaker 1: veteran has the ability to get buckets in the mid.
Speaker 1: Range he can shoot the. Three he's like a calming
Speaker 1: presence to this. Team valentchunis can rebound his ass. Off
Speaker 1: not a great, defender let's be, honest but good. Rebounder
Speaker 1: Herb jones absolute demon on the. Perimeter his, wingspan his, effort,
Speaker 1: ridiculous his. Versatility love. Him Trey, murphy when healthy is
Speaker 1: a lynchpin of this, team little little piece of, information
Speaker 1: though not quite healthy right, now dealing with some niscus.
Speaker 1: Stuff Jose alvarado also awesome off the, bench dealing with
Speaker 1: some health. Stuff valuable players Like Dyson, daniels WHO i
Speaker 1: think can. Help not a great, shooter but he's coming.
Speaker 1: Around larry And Ash JUNIOR i think is a good
Speaker 1: piece as. Well but here's the bottom. Line as you can,
Speaker 1: tell there's a lot of pieces that individually, great not
Speaker 1: so great. Together to, Date, Williamson ingram and McCollum have
Speaker 1: only played one hundred and seventy two minutes together as a.
Speaker 1: Whole all three have struggled with injuries and not having
Speaker 1: a great track record with. That so you might think
Speaker 1: that The pelican season hinges completely on, injuries and it
Speaker 1: does to a, degree but it also depends on Whether
Speaker 1: zion And bi can cohabitate in the same, system AND
Speaker 1: i am guessing that one of them is gonna have to.
Speaker 1: Go let's move forward to my, squad my squad of
Speaker 1: The Southwest. Division it's not The San Antonio. Spurs that's everybody's.
Speaker 1: Squad they Are america's, team let's be, honest And france's,
Speaker 1: team and probably every other country's team because When bayama is.
Speaker 1: Electric but we're not talking about. Them we're talking about
Speaker 1: The Houston rockets right. Now, Baby we're talking about some
Speaker 1: flowing right. Now they were twenty. Two they are your
Speaker 1: favorite twenty two and sixty team because they have overhauled
Speaker 1: the roster and overhauled the culture in about two seconds.
Speaker 1: Flat let's talk about their. Additions Huh fred Van, Fleet oh,
Speaker 1: yeah breaks. Truck give him his. Money give that man
Speaker 1: his fucking. Money Dylan, brooks give him his. Money give
Speaker 1: that man his fucking. Money Amon thompson took him in
Speaker 1: the draft and then the steal baby at twenty a
Speaker 1: consensus top five pick that you get at the twenty twentieth.
Speaker 1: Slot in Cam, whitmore you could track kJ Martin, Uzman,
Speaker 1: gruba and the biggest, Subtraction Stephen. Silas his press conferences
Speaker 1: were really something to. Behold THOUGH i have a lot
Speaker 1: of things to, SAY i don't think any of them
Speaker 1: are in my best, self but this is my, league past,
Speaker 1: team so many reasons WHY i love. THEM i couldn't
Speaker 1: really explain it without dedicating an entire show to. It
Speaker 1: but really it's like the, culture and it all starts
Speaker 1: with my. MAN i may Fucking Udoka portland stand, up let's.
Speaker 1: Go you are the one setting the. Tone from the
Speaker 1: time he showed up In houston threw up the, shaker
Speaker 1: one on the pink and one on the, ah it's
Speaker 1: been nothing but exciting times for Emay udoka and The Houston.
Speaker 1: Rockets emy brings a world class defensive. Mindset we know
Speaker 1: that that's what he did when he was In, boston
Speaker 1: immediately turn those boys into some straight. Dogs he might
Speaker 1: Be coach of The year this. Year i'm not gonna.
Speaker 1: Lie this is a team that might go from twenty two.
Speaker 1: WINS i don't know how many they need thirty. Six
Speaker 1: do they need thirty six for him to Win coach
Speaker 1: of The. YEAR i don't. Know but, listen he's got
Speaker 1: so many damn pieces to play with. Pause he's got
Speaker 1: so many damn players that have so many things they
Speaker 1: can do well even with the bad news from the. SUMMER.
Speaker 1: Kpj he's a. Bucket he's a. Bucket he's a. Bucket
Speaker 1: getting cut from the. TEAM i think that's addition by.
Speaker 1: Subtraction this team is gonna be very fun to. Watch
Speaker 1: first of, all they did not Sign James, harden which
Speaker 1: would have been a massive. Mistake there was no chance
Speaker 1: he was coming on the. Team but you have a
Speaker 1: bunch of second year players on the. Roster you Got Tarry,
Speaker 1: easton who white, Love Jabari, smith WHO i think is
Speaker 1: gonna be an absolute low post mid post. Threat you
Speaker 1: Got Darius, Days you Got Jonathan, williams you Got Trevor.
Speaker 1: Hudgens you have four, Rookies Amon, thompson WHO i think
Speaker 1: is about his verse as they. Come if you can
Speaker 1: get a jump, shot oh, boy you Got Cam, whitmore
Speaker 1: who have already talked about last. Episode can do so
Speaker 1: many damn, things probably gonna be the steal of the
Speaker 1: draft at least one of. Them you Have Michael, Mayer Jermaine.
Speaker 1: Samuels but then you add these third year Players Jalen,
Speaker 1: Green alpera And Shangoon Shang goon is like this, Unicorn
Speaker 1: jocqulandell From Phoenix Nate. Hinton keep in, mind thirteen players
Speaker 1: formed the nucleus of one of the youngest teams in the.
Speaker 1: League Jay Shawn tate also fourth year. Player fourteen players
Speaker 1: were with three or less years of. Experience this is
Speaker 1: a chalk full team of fascinating players with a ton
Speaker 1: of length, athleticism could do a bunch of different. Things
Speaker 1: players THAT i particularly want to keep my eye On Jabari.
Speaker 1: SMITH i think he takes a hugely Forward, listen, Man
Speaker 1: i'm gonna say, It, Okay Steven silas was not doing
Speaker 1: anything to add To Jabari smith's. Confidence in, FACT i
Speaker 1: think that whole energy was bringing the mood. Down nothing
Speaker 1: fell more reluctant in every moment Than Steven silas in
Speaker 1: his little. iPad i just it was, painful bro it was,
Speaker 1: Painful and now you get Emy udoka that alone in
Speaker 1: terms of confidence, building Emay udoka, OOZES i can get
Speaker 1: any BITCH i, want and that is going to be
Speaker 1: translated to the floor And Jabari smith is going to
Speaker 1: learn from. That Alprin shangun is also set to. Improve
Speaker 1: now the question is does Emy udoka feel That Alprin
Speaker 1: shangun can become a defensive. Monster we'll. See if he
Speaker 1: is not and he does not have the ability to
Speaker 1: play hard the way Emay udoka wants, him he will be,
Speaker 1: gone he will be. Out but he is a baby.
Speaker 1: Yokic that is what he does. Well he is a passing.
Speaker 1: Machine his BASKETBALL iq is super. High he sees lanes
Speaker 1: that very few players or big men have any vision
Speaker 1: or the ability to execute. On as for, Rookies i've
Speaker 1: already said, THIS i am so high On Campbell. More
Speaker 1: IF i didn't already have a sleeper In Keyante george
Speaker 1: from My rookie of The, year it would be Cam
Speaker 1: witmore because he has been. ELECTRIC i am particularly impressed
Speaker 1: with his. Highlights he can grab a, rebound take the
Speaker 1: ball coast to, coast lay it, in dunk, it just
Speaker 1: put his nuts in someone's face and just do. It
Speaker 1: with a cold hearted. Assassin, look he's gonna be very.
Speaker 1: Good that boy. GOOD i don't know how many games
Speaker 1: The Houston rockets are gonna win this. YEAR i really,
Speaker 1: don't BUT i know it's gonna be. Fun Like, okay
Speaker 1: See Lake, pasteam that's so last. Year it's The. Rockets
Speaker 1: it is The rockets this. Year if you don't bring
Speaker 1: YOUR a game to The, rockets you are getting in
Speaker 1: L they are going to run you out of the
Speaker 1: gym and it is not gonna be very. Fun and
Speaker 1: you're gonna go To James harden's restaurant and eat that
Speaker 1: flog gras and that steak hold net l on your.
Speaker 1: Face