re: New Orleans Pelicans vs Atlanta Hawks: fortitude

It's not those guys missing that is fricking us. We have pieces to mostly fill those roles.

It's how he plays certain types of players together when he should be doing the opposite.

When we go down, don't throw shooters and Zion out there. EVERYTIME we do that we go down more because it gives us no defense without a center.

Stagger BI and Zion until they build chemistry. Sure "start" both but start staggering about 5 minutes in.

Play Zion with JV more, and BI with Nance more. Let JV screen for Zion more. Nance can clear out and let BI work in like he wants but can't with Zion.

BI doesn't need a screen, he needs space.

Zion doesn't need space because he can create it. He just needs someone to threaten the direction he might go with a screen to get the defense off balance.

Its 6 games. Its not easy to figure stuff out with guy’s missing games and other guys injured. Again, the hawks are top offense, they blasted the bucks the other day. Willie overall is a good coach. Its easy to nitpick now but again it takes time and healthy bodies to see what rotations work. Its not as easy as watching on tv and saying put this guy in.

I mean I can figure it out just watching the game, he tried TWICE in the 2nd half to shoot his way back into the game by playing Zion at center with shooters (the 2nd time with BI as well), and BOTH times we gave up easy as shite drives in the lane for fouls and easy shots.

If he can't see that, especially since he makes this exact mistake over and over (as evidenced how little JV plays at the end of games), then I can't say he is good with lineups. Every year has been the same.

Dude you’re making way too big a deal of Willie’s rotations. Again healthy and available bodies needed. I love JV but he has his lapses too lets not go off only the detroit game here. He has issues with athletic centers. Guys like Capela always give him issues. Regardless, losses happen. If we shoot better and guys outside of JV at least care even a littke about boxing out. We’re ok. The same shite rotations you hate also gave us 7 point halftime lead so there needs to be some perspective.

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The BI/Zion combo just doesn’t seem like it will work though, we look like a much smoother faster flowing offense with Ingram out.

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Yep I agree.


A lineup of Zion/JV/Herb/CJ/Trey would be better than that same lineup with Ingram inserted instead of Herb or Trey

One thing that fans don’t appreciate, or maybe agree with is a better word, is that coaches are often more patient than fans and want to see things work or fail before they lean into something or back off. I think you make some good points about staggering Zion and BI, but we need to know how they don’t work together almost as much as how they do work together.

Last year Willie took the season in 10 game chunks before making major changes. Other coaches do that as well. They need to collect the data. If the Big 4 doesn’t work, and it’s kind of hard to judge that until Zion gets in proper shape, then they need to make some trades.

We can talk in circles about this team, but we will never ever ever be a threat to do anything of note if our 2 best players are the 2 laziest players on the team defensively.

We're in year 5 of max laziness. Why should we feel like they'll magically begin to care on that side of the ball?

Look at the heart and hustle we saw last night from our team LINK