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ESPN's Zach Lowe on the Pels
Posted on 7/7/17 at 10:50 am
Posted on 7/7/17 at 10:50 am
quote:
Loser (maybe): The Pellies, over a barrel
We end with the league's most fascinating experiment -- and maybe its most volatile, with a svelte DeMarcus Cousins heading into the last year of his contract. In this icy point guard market, $25 million per season is just too much for Jrue Holiday, even if he had the Pelicans over a barrel given the paltry cap space -- about $12 million -- they'd have had to replace him. Holiday is just 27, with limited mileage thanks to leg injuries the team is confident are behind him. Anthony Davis likes playing with Holiday, and the Pelicans need to be in the business of keeping Davis happy. The two sides could structure Holiday's deal so that it declines year-over-year or stays flat to ease the future cap burden. Holiday is a solid shooter, and a very good defender across multiple positions. But if he doesn't make a jump, this deal is a cap-clogging problem. The Pelicans still don't have enough talent on the wing to space the floor for their twin towers, and it's unclear how they'll get it barring a return to health for long-lost Quincy Pondexter. The Cousins-Davis pairing could work in the right setting. They bring enough playmaking and shooting between them, and Davis can hang with most opposing power forwards on defense. They found a rhythm on offense after an ugly first half-dozen games. They have to hit that rhythm from Day 1, and it helps that Holiday will go through camp for the first time in three years. They cannot afford a slow start. The West is unforgiving -- as always.
The bolded line might be everything.
This post was edited on 7/7/17 at 10:52 am
6
Posted on 7/7/17 at 10:53 am to NOLAbaby
Was just about to post this.
He like most is underscoring Jrue holidays ability to score. I still think he can be the third guy on a great team.
What he failed to mention is AD taking one more leap. He's just about to hit his prime.
And it will be glorious.
He like most is underscoring Jrue holidays ability to score. I still think he can be the third guy on a great team.
What he failed to mention is AD taking one more leap. He's just about to hit his prime.
And it will be glorious.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 10:53 am to NOLAbaby
Pretty accurate description of our situation. He understands we have promise but it's also a risky situation. Glad the whole thing wasn't filled with the usual doom and gloom like Bill Simmons.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 10:55 am to NOLAbaby
I think Jrue can be on a career upswing which is potentially solid news for our future. Asik and Pondexter being so worthless is killer.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 11:12 am to whatiknowsofar
AD has gotten bigger and stronger this offseason as well. He might get MVP consideration ("consideration") this year.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 11:22 am to oncealurker
Ummm, what is this nonsense:
"and Davis can hang with most opposing power forwards on defense."
What PF's has AD had problems guarding?
"and Davis can hang with most opposing power forwards on defense."
What PF's has AD had problems guarding?
Posted on 7/7/17 at 11:29 am to NOFOX
We really need to sign a Lin or Rondo at this point.
Jrue going to need to play a bunch of 2 unless we find a scorer.
Jrue going to need to play a bunch of 2 unless we find a scorer.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 11:29 am to NOLAbaby
We need a shooter. really two.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 11:30 am to jagalumtigerfanatic
Wouldn't shock me if we ended up with CJ Miles and Troy Daniels this offseason.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 11:43 am to NOLAbaby
Aside from the money itself, the way the contract is structured took me off guard too. Like Zach mentioned.
Why not try and press a bit harder and spend more up front with relief on the back end? Probably the only thing I have a bigger concern with is that the contract is structured in a way that leaves us paying Jrue his highest number right as Davis gets toward FA. Limiting what we can realistically do to make the best pitch of not forcing his way out or walking away. Basically leaving the team with Jrue or bust because if it goes south with him, you just have AD looking at a roster without flexibility and every big organization pointing that out to recruit him.
Why not try and press a bit harder and spend more up front with relief on the back end? Probably the only thing I have a bigger concern with is that the contract is structured in a way that leaves us paying Jrue his highest number right as Davis gets toward FA. Limiting what we can realistically do to make the best pitch of not forcing his way out or walking away. Basically leaving the team with Jrue or bust because if it goes south with him, you just have AD looking at a roster without flexibility and every big organization pointing that out to recruit him.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 11:47 am to bonhoeffer45
quote:
Why not try and press a bit harder and spend more up front with relief on the back end? Probably the only thing I have a bigger concern with is that the contract is structured in a way that leaves us paying Jrue his highest number right as Davis gets toward FA. Limiting what we can realistically do to make the best pitch of not forcing his way out or walking away. Basically leaving the team with Jrue or bust because if it goes south with him, you just have AD looking at a roster without flexibility and every big organization pointing that out to recruit him.
Agents and players don't like flat or descending contracts. It creates poor optics for the next contract. We are also going to be operating right around the tax line so we wanted him with a lower salary this year so we can add as much talent as possible without going into the tax.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 11:50 am to Rakim
quote:
We really need to sign a Lin
Lin isn't a Free Agent.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 12:01 pm to NOLAbaby
You're lying to yourself if you're saying anything other then this season hinging on Cousins buying in.
Love what he's doing with his body
But:
Does he commit to defense?
Does he run the floor?
Does he stop hoisting 3'sunconsciously?
Does his attitude change? Crying at refs, mean mugging teammates, throwing baby fits?
Jrue Holliday isn't what this season hinges on. Which is why it's sad that we have to pay the dude 25 fricking mil a year. He's a small piece to the puzzle. Cousins is the X factor
Love what he's doing with his body
But:
Does he commit to defense?
Does he run the floor?
Does he stop hoisting 3'sunconsciously?
Does his attitude change? Crying at refs, mean mugging teammates, throwing baby fits?
Jrue Holliday isn't what this season hinges on. Which is why it's sad that we have to pay the dude 25 fricking mil a year. He's a small piece to the puzzle. Cousins is the X factor
Posted on 7/7/17 at 12:11 pm to Lester Earl
quote:
Love what he's doing with his body
But:
Does he commit to defense?
Does he run the floor?
Does he stop hoisting 3'sunconsciously?
Does his attitude change? Crying at refs, mean mugging teammates, throwing baby fits?
I think yes, yes, not really, somewhat. Having AD, Cousins and Jrue fully healthy to participate in offseason conditioning and training camp is a big deal to implement changes to the offense and build chemistry. I think Cousins is fully committed and will remain so as long as we are winning more than losing. I think you will see this most on the defensive and transition front. Hard to tell how much of last year was due to being injured/out of shape and how much was just laziness/loafing/pouting. We will find out though.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 12:12 pm to NOFOX
Of course they prefer increasing. Jrue probably preferred a full max. That's why you negotiate. Something Dell has continually put himself in a position where that is hard to do for him so we get things like Asik, Ajinca, and now Jrue.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 12:21 pm to bonhoeffer45
quote:
Of course they prefer increasing. Jrue probably preferred a full max. That's why you negotiate. Something Dell has continually put himself in a position where that is hard to do for him so we get things like Asik, Ajinca, and now Jrue.
Again, if it is flatter or decreasing then makes it more difficult to use the full MLE and definitely no chance at Cuningham. Right now we are at ~$106M with Jrue's deal. TAx is ~$113M, MLE is ~$8M. If we start Jrue out at $30M and make it descend, then we can't use the full MLE without shedding salary.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 12:28 pm to NOFOX
quote:
front. Hard to tell how much of last year was due to being injured/out of shape and how much was just laziness/loafing/pouting. We will find out though.
You're talking 7 years of this. Not just 25 games. He needs to find himself & fast
Posted on 7/7/17 at 12:34 pm to Lester Earl
The fact that he's actually committed to being in great shape gives me some optimism.
Posted on 7/7/17 at 12:35 pm to CocoLoco
Yap that's a start for sure
Posted on 7/7/17 at 12:38 pm to Lester Earl
quote:
ou're talking 7 years of this. Not just 25 games. He needs to find himself & fast
Last year with the injury combined with how short time he was here, unlikely to make a dramatic change. But was he just loafing with us or was he hurting/out of shape? A lot of times it looked like he was trying to keep up and give effort, but was just flat out gassed and unable to keep up. The conditioning and body composition change is a huge sign that he is buying in to what we are doing. I think at least with respect to the effort items we will see a different Boogie.
Whether he can change his attittude with respect to yelling at refs is a different question. I think he will get that more under control, but he is still a combustible guy and it is going to pop up. Same with the 3's. I think he will cut back the "two bad ones" he takes a game as per Gentry, but probably going to still see 1 bad one per game.
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