re: The New Orleans Pelicans vs. The San Antonio Spurs: ZION

If we shot anywhere near what we did the last few games we win easy

It's clear that Fred Vinson has been working with Zion on his outside shot, and it's also clear that Zion has spent a lot of time in the last few weeks working on it.

He's got total confidence in that 3-pt shot. If Zion is a league-average 3-pt shooter, then the NBA is officially owned by Zion.

When do they vote on ROY?

What I don't understand is how tf these Veteran players were so shaken by nerves.

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Even the best guys just have off nights when there seems to be a lid on the basket.

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I mean, James Harden just had a game where he shot 1 for 17 from 3. It happens.

Good news is we have Denver up next and for some reason we basically own their arse this year.

I will say that we did see something similar in the preseason, where Zion was much better at the 5 than at the 4. It's still a very open question where Zion and Favors can co-exist on the court together.

But I don't think we ran a single P&R with Zion tonight, and I don't understand that. Eventually, I also want to see the reverse, with Zion initiating the P&R, because he's got the handle to do it.

I mean I think he can exist with an interior anchored five, I just don’t think it will ever be ideal unless he becomes a sharp shooter. Same goes with guard play. He can probably still be great with a DeRozan at the two, but a Buddy Hield, Murray, Beal, or Klay Thompson would be much more ideal.

Which is why I have tried to temper my expectations with Hayes. As much as I like him. I could very much see him as the tough trade down the line.

People have anointed him the defacto perfect compliment to Zion and nothing I have seen makes me think that. I think like Griffin and Jordan it can work, and work really well. But if early career and prime Griffin had Horford instead of Jordan, that team would have been unstoppable. And Zion is on another tier from Griffin. Hayes maybe develops a jumper, maybe Zion does. It’s clear though that Zion will make his name inside and you want to do whatever you can to make that as optimal for him as possible. Which means clearing it out as best you can.

Bronc, you're not wrong, but I also think that Zion can do so many things well, and there are even more things that he will learn to do well, that there are a lot of potential lineups that he could fit with.

I think we can, at best, try to figure out what works best with him right now, but that doesn't mean what works best this year will be what works best in a couple of years when his game has evolved and he has even more tools in his belt.

In other words, I think it's impossible to say that, three years from now, Hayes will or will not be a good fit with him.

Someone else make the game thread next game. OP is cursed