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Welcome in to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast, the official podcast of your New Orleans Pelicans.
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A podcast dedicated to everything you need to know about the squad.
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Hear from players, coaches, broadcasters, and those who cover the NBA on a daily basis.
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It's time to flock up.
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The New Orleans Pelicans podcast starts right now.
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Hello, everyone, and welcome again to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast, the official podcast of your New Orleans Pelicans.
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I'm Gus Captain Gell.
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Happy Monday to you in the month of December.
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Mr.
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Jim Eichenhoff from New OrleansPelicans.com.
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We are in a new month.
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Our beliefs are already.
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Wait, where'd November go?
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Yeah, where did 2024 go as well?
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I can't believe we're almost ready to turn the page to a new year.
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Well, for the Pelicans, I'm sure they're ready to turn uh new month, new week, new something, new leaf, however you want to look at it, as the Pelicans, since we last chatted with you, have yet to win a game.
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They lost at Memphis on Friday, 120 to 109 in a good game.
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Jim, they competed.
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It's just Jean Morant is Jean Morant, and it it was the three-point shot that was the real difference maker there.
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Yeah, it was.
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I mean, it seemed like the Pelicans stayed somewhat in the game, but I I never felt like they could get enough defensive stops.
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And the Grizzlies also turned you over a little bit too much, especially in the first half.
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They were able to get a pretty big cushion and and uh put it away in the second half.
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Yeah, 12-9, the difference in three-pointers made, but they shot 41-29.
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I don't know if that really had much of a difference in it, Jim, but again, the three-point shot kind of rear his ugly head when he came to last night's game against the Knicks.
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20-4 made three-point attempts.
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The three-point shots just it's tough to overcome in the league, isn't it?
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It is.
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And I mean, I'm gonna get into this here in a second, but it just seems like the Pelicans have a bunch of guys that are vastly under performing what they've done throughout their career from the three-point arc, so that definitely has hurt a lot.
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There was two highlights in particular that kind of told uh the tale in case you were watching the Saints game last night or just didn't really get a chance or wondered how did the Pells barely score ten points in the first quarter?
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Well, this is kind of how it went.
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This is the first quarter.
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Now the Penals feed the tastes drives in and he's tempted to come up with the number one.
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No, he's gonna throw it to McDonald, sets his feet, left the angle three, nothing, but then 42-14, New York, 9-15 to go.
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Jimmy Hurd knows highlights there.
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There's a defensive play, right?
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Tice blocks it.
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It turns into a three-point ball for the Knicks.
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You have Javante Green gets a block.
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Three-point attempt by CJ McCullum, no good.
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They get a three-point bucket.
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It's I I had never seen anything like this.
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I'm looking back at the last seven games, and the Pells have been down 34, 40 points, 17, 12.
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I mean it just doesn't seem normal.
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No, I mean, last night to me was the first quarter.
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I mean, maybe maybe the whole first half was Murphy's Law, and by by that I don't mean Trey Murphy, but I mean the whenever anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
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I mean, not only did they make some good defensive plays that turned into open threes for the Knicks, but also it seemed like every shot, not every shot, a bunch of shots were halfway in and rolled out.
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So I mean, there was just no nothing positive.
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It just seemed like every single break went in the Knicks' favor.
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But you're you're right, it is kind of a continuation of they've had so many starts lately where they're down by a margin that you would say even if you were at full strength, it's gonna be tough to impossible to come back from 25, 30 points.
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But with some of the other guys that are out right now, it's even more hard to imagine that you can rally from down by some of these margins.
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Murphy's Law and the Snowball effect, same neighborhood, same person?
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I think it might I don't know if it's the same person, but it's they might yeah, they might be they might have been neighbors.
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I kind of feel like the snowball effect is is that like that snowball.
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I mean, it's not just if one thing can go wrong, one thing goes wrong, and then oh, here comes the snowball.
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Right.
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Murphy's law is kind of like is it more like a trickling or a damning effect?
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Because I'm trying to just to look at how do you get to where you're down 34, 41, double digits.
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It is Is it a cascade of events, right?
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It takes a village to be down by 35, 40 points.
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I mean it right now.
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You like a three-point shooting?
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You need to play poorly on defense.
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Um, one of the things that Antonio Daniels talked about a lot during the TV broadcast last night was that there was a lot of miscommunication on defense.
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There was a lot of breakdowns where two guys would go to one man and therefore somebody's wide open for the Knicks.
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I mean, that was a a problem as well.
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But I mean, you have to turn the ball over a lot.
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I mean, there's so much especially for that to happen in the first half to be down by that large of a number.
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I mean, you really have to do so many different things poorly to be able to and and I mean sometimes too, if you do all that stuff against a good team, too.
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I mean, there might be some opponents where you you have a a C minus effort and you're still in the game, but I mean, they've played a bunch of teams lately where if you put that kind of performance on the floor, you're gonna be in big trouble.
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I think you you probably have a better memory than this.
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Andrew Lopez told Graf before the game, and I'm sure he said it on the on the broadcast.
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I saw the graphic, I just can't remember it.
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Pels are up to what, 14, 15 different lineups in in how many years?
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15 in the first 20.
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21.
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I think it's still 15 out of 21 now, because they actually somehow did put the same lineup together two games in a row.
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Correct.
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The Knicks, 17, 18 straight, or something like that, right?
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And they only had two, they've only used two different starting lineups the whole season, which is incredible.
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So that that's what I'm trying to get at too, because again, I I'm not I'm not trying to find something, but I'm also trying to make sense of some of those things.
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Could it also be, Jim, where we sit near because I'm thinking the last seven games, down 41 twice, down 34 twice, down 17 twice, only one time have you not been down double digits.
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But I feel like you've gotten players back.
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Could we have maybe overlooked the fact, hey, these guys are coming back, the Jante's coming back, CJ's coming back, Trey is back, now we're gonna get rolling and going, and maybe have we forgotten the fact that, well, they haven't played in two or three weeks, and it's just going to take time because there was one play when Messi picked up a second foul.
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CJ McCullum peeks to the right, trying to, and he's verbalizing something defensively, and credit call Anthony Towns, who's on the left wing, saw it, took off past him, drove right at Eve Missy, second personal foul, first quarter.
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But that's what I'm getting at, right?
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One of those things like that where you're maybe trying to communicate you haven't played with all these people in a while.
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I could could that be a reason?
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I mean, a hundred percent.
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You have to you have to think too that I mean, we've seen this unfortunately in a painful fashion, that it's not just the guy gets back on the court and everything's back to normal.
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You have to figure out the chemistry, you have to figure out guys that haven't played with each other, that kind of thing.
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I also think too that I mean, I don't need to tell Pelicans fans the difficulties that come with guys being injured, but to me, one of them too is that there's certain things that I feel like they're duplications of guys they don't have a good balance of defenders and offensive players right now either, because you know, Herb's not back yet.
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Jose's out.
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So, I mean, normally the balance that this roster has, and we saw this a lot last year, one of the reasons they won 49 games was because they had a pretty good mix of enough guys that can score on offense and put up enough points and then the defense, which was brought a lot by some of the guys off the bench.
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But I mean, now it's just it's like a a mishmash of like to me, they have enough offense right now, but they probably don't have enough defense, is one of the reasons why they're ranked towards the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency.
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So I mean, it's just when you when you envision the way a team is gonna look and you look at all the different pieces, but you pull certain ones out, now all of a sudden the chemistry, not just from the standpoint of lack of familiarity with each other, but just the skill sets that you need across the board to be successful, some of them are are not on the table right now.
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So I mean that I think that's a big part of it as well.
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Yeah, it just makes it tough uh when you look at it all the way around.
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Coming up in a little bit, you'll hear an interview with Andrew Lopez as he's got a chance to sit down with Alfred Payton over the weekend.
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And and I guess that's one of those things that I kind of want to bring up too, is like you you're having all these players come in, they get a rhythm and a role, and now they're having to maybe adjust in different roles here as well, right?
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Sure.
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I mean, that's that's part of it as well.
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So I mean, you know, one thing I wanted to talk about briefly too before we get to the Alfred Payton interview, you know, I I hear people, you know, Pelicans are four and seventeen right now, and everything pretty much is going wrong in so many different ways.
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I hear people say, you know, people that are being negative, which I totally understand the negativity right now, people say, like, well, you know, I expected this, and I and I go back to like no, you did not expect this.
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I mean, one of the things I looked at was if you go back to two seasons ago, right after when they traded for CJ McCollum, they finished that regular season nine and six.
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So if you start from that point and you go through to the beginning of the start of this season, the Pelicans were a hundred wins and seventy-nine losses over that entire span.
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So you're talking about this was a really good team, but to me, there's a bunch of things that have happened that I can't believe.
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Things that you just could not have predicted, things that there's no way that you could expect.
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And I and granted, uh, a big chunk of this is injuries and guys being out.
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So I'm not gonna say that every single time, but I mean you have to factor that into they were sixth in defense two seasons ago, sixth in defense last season, they're 27th in defense this year.
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Here's a good stat too.
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They were th they were the they had the fourth best three-point percentage last season.
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This season they have the fourth worst.
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So I mean it's a total flip.
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Um if you look at individual guys as well, um Trey Murphy career 39% three-point shooter, he's shooting 30%.
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C.J.
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McCollum, 40% career 35 this season.
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DeJounte Murray, 34%, he's shooting 24% this season.
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So I I I guess the question that I I ask is, I mean, how much of this is the way the season's gonna go all year, or how much of this is, and to borrow one of John DeShazer's expressions that I love, the where he talks about you players always go back to the w what's on the back of their baseball card or basketball card, I guess it would be in this case.
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So I just think that across the board there's so many different things that are happening that are not only things that you wouldn't expect, but they're all negative.
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Yeah, there's hardly anything where you say going into the season, I expected this and it's going better than I thought it would be.
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So you add all that stuff together, you throw in the injuries and the chemistry uh adjustments and stuff like that, and and you end up with an eight-game losing streak and four and seventeen and extreme disappointment.
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But I just I just wonder, like, I just can't imagine, and I've I mean I've been surprised so many times already in the first 21 games, but I just can't imagine that all this stuff across the board is gonna continue the way it's gone.
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I mean, we're talking some of the guys I listed, CJ McCollum, like 12 years in the NBA, DeJounte Murray, eight years in the NBA, Trey Murphy has proven that he's an elite shooter.
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So you would think that some of this stuff has got to turn, right, Gus?
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You would think so.
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And look, I think at the end of the day, it goes to this, and we'll do this here real quick.
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Um, and then get to the interview, but I I think what Willie Green says here is very interesting.
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He was asked, what does he see right now when he looks out on a court at his basketball team?
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We just we gotta find our confidence.
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Uh that's the biggest thing I saw.
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Just, you know, falling in love with the competition of basketball.
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And it really starts with our confidence, our belief when we step on the floor that we have what it takes to go in these games and compete at the highest level and give ourselves a chance to win.
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Doesn't mean you're gonna win every game, but it just starts with uh our group having more confidence in what they're doing.
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I think it's one of those things where I think it's easy to be like, well, how do you not have any confidence?
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Get out there.
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I mean, this is what you do, this is what you're paid to do, this is your job and all that.
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I think we've all been in situations, I call it the rut, right?
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Where, I don't know, relationship, work-wise.
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I mean it just it it seem it seems like to your earlier analysis or I guess analogy of either the snowball effect or Murphy's Law, right?
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When one thing kind of happens, it just kind of feeds to one another, even though you're not letting it do, like I sometimes, you know, I don't know, you have a breakup or a bad day work and you turn on the radio, and just so happens that song's exactly what that is, right?
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I I don't know if that's like the universe working like that, but you get what I'm getting at, where I feel like that's when he's saying that confidence thing is you're sitting there, you may have approached the game, you may be ready to go, and then all of a sudden you look up and I'm like, is it really 24 to 4?
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And you're no, that's exactly what you're doing.
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You know what I'm saying?
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I think tangibly, I think with with the way the NBA schedule is, where you're playing so many games, but you also have 48 hours, sometimes 72 hours to get ready for the next game, you can trick you not trick yourself, but you can convince yourself, okay, this is a fresh start.
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We're gonna, we're gonna, it's zero-zero, you know, let's go into this game confidently.
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But then when you're down 25 points in the first half, whatever belief and confidence that you had, it's like somebody came up with a baseball bat and just smashed it into pieces on the ground and that and it just goes away.
00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:46.080
So I mean, somehow they're gonna have to figure out a way to it's great to you can say whatever you want and you can talk about confidence and I mean the the word that he used was belief too, the the belief in the ability for you to win games.
00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:53.679
But I mean, you can talk about it all you want, but if if you're down 30 something, 40 something points, that I mean that it doesn't really amount to much.
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Yeah, no doubt.
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And it's just crazy.
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I mean, those shots are hitting the rim.
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Is I I don't think Jim Pelicans players walk out on the court and I'm gonna purposely hit the the side of the backboard.
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You know, so many of those shots at the rim last night are going in and out, and then when you see a three on the other end, it just hurts you.
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Here's DeJounte Murray.
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You gotta compete.
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I just said it.
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You want me to repeat it again?
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Uh gotta be tough.
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You can't let guys do whatever they want.
00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:23.279
You let anybody this lead the best of the best for a reason, you know.
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Dudes are professional NBA basketball players for a reason.
00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:29.519
So you let dudes do whatever they want.
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They get to the free throw line, they making open shots, shooting open shots, getting to the rim, getting layups.
00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:35.279
We talk about it.
00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:41.679
We don't get easy layups, we don't get wide open shots like that, so it comes down to matching energy, you know.
00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:47.919
But that should be our identity from the tip, you know, just being tough and making teams feel us uh for the whole game, no matter who you are.
00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:49.279
If you start, come off the bench.
00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:52.240
When Deunte speaks there, is he talking about a controllable?
00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:53.360
You know what I mean?
00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:54.879
I can control that.
00:15:55.200 --> 00:15:58.799
I think to me, there's definitely an element that you have to factor in.
00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:03.519
He I the part that he said about we're not getting layups, we're not getting easy baskets.
00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:07.200
To me, there's definitely an element to that of not having some of your main guys.
00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:12.799
Like Zion not only gets easy baskets for himself, but he creates a bunch of easy looks for everybody else.
00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:14.639
You don't have Brandon Ingram right now.
00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:19.919
When you don't have you know your top guys, that that is a kind of a consequence of that.
00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:26.320
But but I also think too that the shooting part of basketball, we're we're we we're not we can't figure it out.
00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:29.919
We're never gonna be able to figure out why does Antonio Reeves have 34 points in a game?
00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:32.240
You know, why does he get on a roll like that?
00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:38.080
You know, why does Dalton Connect make nine threes in a game and then maybe the next game he has four points?
00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:38.399
Right.
00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:40.000
It's just that's part of basketball.
00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:40.320
Right.
00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:44.480
But I go back to what I said about the three-point percentages.
00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:54.399
I think that all the guys who've struggled so far um would shoot better if the team was more complete and they had some of their main guys that draw attention.
00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:56.799
But I also think that some of that is just fluky.
00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:59.279
That it's just I can't explain it.
00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:06.480
If I could, I'd probably be making like, you know, a lot more ten figures, nine figures, whatever it is.
00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:08.559
That's why uh sports psychology is such a great.
00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:08.960
Right.
00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:10.400
But I mean that's just part of it.
00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:22.160
And and you know, I don't have any answers for why they're shooting at the level that they are, other than if they were more whole as a roster, I think it'd be easier to get easy baskets for sure.
00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:22.640
No doubt.
00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:25.359
Well, Jim, you said this season hasn't gone according to plan.
00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:28.000
There have been some interesting and some nice storylines.
00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:30.319
The development of Eve Messi, we've talked a lot about that.
00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:37.279
Helford Payton, man, being a guy from Gretna, right across the river, to be able to play for the Pells and contribute this season.
00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:41.759
It's one of the reasons Andrew Lopez of the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment Network wanted to chat with him.
00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:43.359
He caught up with him over the weekend.
00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:44.880
Here is his conversation.
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Andrew Lopez here with Alfred Payton, Gretna's finest in the building, uh, as we are here on the road in New York City getting things ready on this road trip.
00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:40.720
Alfred, uh, what has this kind of just been like for you, kind of getting back used to the team?
00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:44.400
And oh, by the way, you have to start and play this one of minutes as soon as you get here.
00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:45.680
Uh it's been a lot.
00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:53.119
Um, you know, just trying to get you know back acclimated to, you know, playing in the league and then, you know, playing along in this with this team.
00:19:53.359 --> 00:20:00.960
Um, you know, I spent a little time here at the preseason, so uh not totally new, but uh still you know some things to fine-tune.
00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:11.039
Your first season here was a lot like kind of this season, is in the potential was there and you saw so much, and then there was an injury here, an injury there.
00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:14.079
You I mean you specifically that that that that first time here.
00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:16.960
How how have you seen similarities between these the two years so far?
00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:25.359
Yeah, like you said, just uh a lot of potential um that we, you know, haven't necessarily had a chance to see yet because of because of the injuries.
00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:32.079
Um I think this is a a close group though, and I think once we get everybody back healthy, it'll be another challenge.
00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:38.000
Uh, you know, trying to find a rhythm once once they get back, but I think that'll put us in a position to to make a run.
00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:45.359
Do you ever think about how that first year, how things might have gone different when you don't get injured and then kind of things kinda started to to kind of snowfall from there?
00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:46.480
Yeah, for sure, all the time.
00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:47.440
I think about it all the time.
00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:57.839
Uh it's funny, I was talking to Etoan uh a couple weeks ago, and we just was talking about how um you know we only felt like Golden State would have been the only team that could possibly beat us there, yeah.
00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:06.559
Um so far we we've seen this kind of progression away from pass first point guards.
00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:19.039
Uh we have two guys here, and you you and DeJounte who like to make the pass first, obviously both of you can score when needed, but why do you think that that style of play has kind of decreased in the league in in recent years?
00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:27.920
Uh I think it's because uh for one, just the game has turned into more of a three-point shooting thing.
00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:30.240
Uh they want more three-point shooting.
00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:34.079
And uh and I think it's just not rewarded.
00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:40.319
Um you don't really see, you know, past first point guards get rewarded as far as like accolades are money.
00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:43.680
Um so I think young guys Yeah, last one's probably a big part of it.
00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:44.559
Yeah, for sure.
00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:46.799
I if you go for the money, you know what I'm saying?
00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:52.720
Uh I think young guys coming in seeing guys play a certain way, um, they figure why not play that way?
00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:55.359
Because that's what you know, that's what the what the game is gearing towards.
00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:59.680
It seems like though there's there's kind of like a a small regression of guys who are high.
00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:02.559
Like I think of like Trey and Tyus.
00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:02.720
Yeah.
00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:05.839
I think of you know you did even D TJ McConnell.
00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:08.559
Like there's a there's a a a spot for those guys.
00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:09.519
Yeah, for sure.
00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:16.640
Whereas like and it's not necessarily okay, I gotta be a pass first guy, but you don't want a pass first guy who's maybe eight assists, six turnovers.
00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:17.119
You know what I mean?
00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:17.759
Like right, right.
00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:23.759
The low turnover part is kind of maybe like more important than high assist numbers nowadays, yeah.
00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:24.640
Yeah, I would think so.
00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:25.359
I would think so.
00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:30.160
And I think it also goes to like what's value on that team, you know.
00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:36.160
Um these guys have found spots that that team values what they do and they and they do a good job at their job.
00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:43.359
Like TJ McConnell had a great spot in in Indiana last year and and really helped those guys and they run towards the uh Eastern Congress final.
00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:46.400
So it's about what you know what teams placing uh they value on.
00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:50.720
You you spent some time up there last year, mad ants and and and doing that.
00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:57.279
What were what were those kind of two years like in the in the G kind of trying to navigate your way back to this?
00:22:57.519 --> 00:22:59.599
Uh it it was a journey for sure.
00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:05.920
Um, I just was I'm a big person on trying to be present, you know, wherever my feet was at.
00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:12.559
So um I try not to think about where I should be or what I should be doing.
00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:18.000
I was there, I was trying to get better every day, uh trying to win games, and and just trying to help those young guys.
00:23:18.079 --> 00:23:31.119
Like I said, you know, trying to show them, you know, what a pro looks like, you know, what it means to come to work every day, um, what it takes, and and you know, for the most part, try to tell them, you know, what teams are looking for, uh to help them, you know, along in their career and stuff like that.
00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:33.839
So um it was it was fun, man.
00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:34.960
I had I had a good time.
00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:45.599
What was it about going that route rather than trying to go to Europe or go anywhere like w w what made you want to do that instead?
00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:54.480
Um so it's like going on January, February, um, and I'm just like I'm tired of working out.
00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:57.839
So I wanna I wanna, you know, I wanna play, I wanna compete.
00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:00.720
And just kinda asking a few people, honestly, be great.
00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:01.680
I actually be great too.
00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:03.279
Like, yo, you think what you think I should do?
00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:04.640
He's like, yo, you could play in the G League.
00:24:04.799 --> 00:24:05.759
And I was like, Yeah, you think so?
00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:07.440
And he's like, Yeah, it's just no, it's not that bad.
00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:07.920
Woo-woo.
00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:20.960
I wound up doing the G League, and then I played to finish the season out, and uh I guess I didn't realize how close the G League was, like how much, you know, uh teams.
00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:22.319
Like how much teams use it.
00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:23.359
Yeah, yeah.
00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:26.799
Because I want to say because when you were a rookie, it probably was a lot different.
00:24:27.119 --> 00:24:30.720
Yeah, I and I'm gonna be honest, I never watched a G League game.
00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:34.319
To be honest, I watched maybe one G League game because one of my players was playing, right?
00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:35.920
And it was on NBA TV.
00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:39.039
And but I didn't realize, you know, how close it was.
00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:42.640
And then Indiana for for one is one of the best.
00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:50.799
Like we was in their facility, we was able to use their stuff, um, have access to their you know, equipment and facilities and stuff like that.
00:24:50.960 --> 00:25:02.480
So uh going into that next year, I was like, yeah, I might as well just do it because it it's it was so close and they you know they do a good job um, you know, being there on a daily basis.
00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:07.119
And most teams do, you know, they gotta watch they they want to see their two-ways, they want to see their assignments.
00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:08.720
So it you're closer than you think.
00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:12.880
And I just was like, I felt like being in Europe, I just was out the way.
00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:15.039
I felt like, you know, there's guys that's done it, you've seen Dr.
00:25:15.279 --> 00:25:22.960
Exxon come back, um, there's a few other guys that was able to come back, but I just felt like that would have been too far uh for me.
00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:26.160
For what were other players telling you around that time?
00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:32.000
Guys you were seeing in the in the G or I know you played, you mean you play and pickup with these guys during the summer.
00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:34.160
Like, what were other people telling you during that time?
00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:40.559
Uh, I mean, you know, just regular stuff like, you know, you should be in the league, you know, this is you know, it's kind of crazy.
00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:48.559
Um, you know, some people saying I should go overseas because obviously it, you know, felt like I could have made X amount of dollars.
00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:54.960
Uh and you know, frankly, some people feel like, you know, you have you have more value, but uh people respect you.
00:25:55.200 --> 00:26:06.000
Um you know, they take care of you and stuff like that, as opposed to trying to carve out a league that's quote unquote not showing you know respect to to what you do or what you bring to the team.
00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:08.559
So it was a little bit, it was a mix, it was a mix.
00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:15.200
Um but at the end of the day, I just went with my guts in and decided to do the G League.
00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:18.880
And I know you I mean you you you stay in New Orleans during the summer.
00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:27.039
And how how much did did playing pickup with those guys you think help kind of start getting the ball rolling toward this season?
00:26:27.440 --> 00:26:28.319
Yeah, a lot, man.
00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:28.880
A lot.
00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:31.200
Um it's it's been a journey.
00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:32.240
I would do all kinds of stuff.
00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:41.359
So I was I was training with certain teams too, and uh, you know, just being in the gym, and that kind of um helped me too.
00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:47.759
Like just obviously I feel a certain way, but sometimes like in sports, I don't know what other people is until you could do it.
00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:49.920
You know what I'm saying?
00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:58.720
So playing with them and being able to hold my own and still be able to do some of the things that I was able to do, I was like, I don't know I don't know, I I for sure I could still play.
00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:05.759
So it definitely got the ball rolling, playing pickup here, and you know, was able to get invited to training camp and kind of go from there.
00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:10.480
Did you did you ever think that the that the the NBA side of this was done?
00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:20.799
Did you think like, alright, hey man, I'm if if if I gotta be a G League guy for the next three, four years and help teach guys, that's what I'm gonna do, and then do the next step, or or you always that whole time you're like, I'ma be back.
00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:23.680
Uh I mean I had it's tough.
00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:24.160
It's too far.
00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:25.119
I mean, it's it's days.
00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:26.240
It goes days, it's days.
00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:38.960
You have days where you're like, alright, um, you know, whatever, I'll do the G League one more year, and then if not, then I'll probably go seize until I'm done playing and then get into whatever after that.
00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:44.079
And then some days it's like, um, I know I'm gonna get back, man.
00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:52.960
I see guys playing, and I see what I'm doing against quote-unquote players that they think that's you know gonna be good or potential, things like that.
00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:54.480
And it's like, oh, I know for sure.
00:27:54.720 --> 00:28:04.240
Or you see somebody else get called up, or you see um guys playing well that you feel like you know you better, you know what I'm saying?
00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:10.079
You better than you better than or you have a similar game to them, and it's they're having success, so you're like, oh, yo, you can say so.
00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:16.880
It just it just varies, but again, when I get to thinking like that, I just go back to try to be present, you know what I'm saying?
00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:18.559
Um and go from there.
00:28:18.960 --> 00:28:24.240
It's uh as we sit here taping this interview, it is a Saturday afternoon.
00:28:24.559 --> 00:28:26.319
Saints play tomorrow.
00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:33.920
Um What's what is that like when you're on the road trying to watch how much how much are you trying to watch your you know the Saints at games?
00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:38.160
I know we've been places before, like you're trying to, yeah, you're doing the same thing I'm doing.
00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:39.279
We're trying to find a spot.
00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:40.079
Like for sure.
00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:40.960
It's tough, it's tough.
00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:46.640
Sometimes I gotta kinda take myself out of that because I have to prepare, I gotta prepare for my game, you know what I'm saying?
00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:50.960
Like tomorrow, they're gonna be playing, probably gonna be charming for me to be taking a nap.
00:28:51.279 --> 00:28:52.000
You know what I'm saying?
00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:54.160
So it varies, it varies.
00:28:54.319 --> 00:28:58.720
If I have if I have a little time, I feel like I can sneak a little bit in and I I'll for sure be trying to find it.
00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:01.680
But if I got time to be taking my nap, man.
00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:04.559
You're playing Rams tomorrow, though, so I want that one.
00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:05.200
Yeah, definitely.
00:29:05.440 --> 00:29:06.240
Yeah, definitely.
00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:07.680
Yeah, I always want to beat them up.
00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:10.960
They on the list, it's like like Falcons, Cowboys, Rams.
00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:12.240
That's the three I don't know.
00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:13.200
Vikings, too.
00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:15.759
Oh yeah, that's bad memories, too.
00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:20.960
Oh the last one, you I mean, you're you're New Orleans through and through.
00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:21.440
Yeah, for sure.
00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:27.839
You, you know, air it, go to UL, do everything for the city, stuff with EP Elite, like every everything you've done.
00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:34.799
What does it mean for you to have another chance to play with New Orleans across the front of your chest?
00:29:34.960 --> 00:29:36.240
Uh, I mean a lot, man.
00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:37.519
Uh it means a lot.
00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:41.039
I think it's just funny how how that keep how it turned out like that.
00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:45.359
Even going back to when I got drafted, my first game in the league was in New Orleans.
00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:47.519
Um Yeah, that's right.
00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:51.359
Yeah, so I think I don't know, it's it's just crazy how it, you know, it keeps going back.
00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:52.640
It means a lot to me, though.
00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:55.200
Uh I'm very proud of where I came from.
00:29:55.359 --> 00:29:57.680
I feel like it shaped me to you know who I am today.
00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:00.640
So anytime I could pay it back, pay it forward, you know.
00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:03.119
I love that.
00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:11.680
It it feels destined that you were like for a guy with a flirt-bee logo on his arm, it feels like you were destined to play for this rank.
00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:12.480
Yeah, it's crazy.
00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:12.799
It's crazy.
00:30:13.039 --> 00:30:16.000
The first one didn't go the way it was planned, so maybe maybe come back for a second time, right?
00:30:16.160 --> 00:30:18.559
It was, yeah, it goes it's going good so far.
00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:19.759
So keep it going.
00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:20.160
All right.
00:30:20.240 --> 00:30:20.880
Thanks, EP.
00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:21.839
Yeah, thank you, guys.
00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:25.759
All right, thanks to Andrew Lopez and Alfred Payton for giving us a little bit of that time.
00:30:26.079 --> 00:30:31.119
And a cool chat there, and it was also nice to hear, Jim, um, from Alfred.
00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:34.079
Look, I he has a Florida Lee tattoo already on him.
00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:36.240
He's bound to be tattooed.
00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:39.039
Florida B tattoo, which I have that somewhere in here.
00:30:39.119 --> 00:30:40.079
I have one of those Florida B.
00:30:40.240 --> 00:30:41.599
There it is, the Florida B flag.
00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:44.000
Um it is it's a great story.
00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:53.759
I mean, when you think of 900 days without playing, and you come on and he had that, you know, 21 assist game, it's it's incredible.
00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:54.319
It really is.
00:30:54.640 --> 00:31:00.720
It is, and by the way, too, I was joking with Andrew when he was preparing for this podcast interview, which by the way, it was great.
00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:06.160
It was one of the best I think player interviews that we've had on the show in all the years that we've done it.
00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:14.240
Um, but I was joking with Andrew that I think uh he he I was wondering if he could ask Alfred, is he since he has the fleur to be, is he gonna get the bird de lee on the other one?
00:31:14.319 --> 00:31:15.920
You know, the bird de lee, yes.
00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:16.720
Bird de lee.
00:31:16.880 --> 00:31:20.480
So but yeah, that was a that was it was great listening to Alfred.
00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:21.920
I mean, the guy has so much knowledge.
00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:27.039
I remember I talked to him a lot the first time he was here in the 18-19 season.
00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:30.799
I mean, Alfred was a starter and a main guy on that team.
00:31:31.039 --> 00:31:43.839
So, but I I love talking about basketball with him, and obviously he was both of us were six or seven years younger at the time, but he was also, even at that stage of his career, super knowledgeable about the NBA and basketball in general.
00:31:43.920 --> 00:31:50.000
And you could hear that with him talking to Andrew of all of the different elements of the game that he understands.
00:31:50.240 --> 00:32:00.079
Also thought the part about the past first point guard was interesting as well for him to break down, you know, here's some of the reasons why there aren't as many guys that are distributors.
00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:11.599
And it is interesting to think about guys like Tyus Jones, who basically signed like a minimum deal, even though he has he's the all-time NBA um leader in assist to turnover ratio.
00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:26.319
I mean, I think we would kill for a seven to one assist-to-turnover ratio right now, but yet he's they're not paying guys like that, but they're paying uh paying other guys that don't have as much of an effect on winning for a team but score more, they're paying those guys a lot more money.
00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:28.319
So I thought that was a good point by Elfred.
00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:29.440
Yeah, no doubt about it.
00:32:29.519 --> 00:32:35.119
That's what we love trying to give uh interviews like that out here so people can enjoy and listen.
00:32:36.960 --> 00:32:39.039
Well, it's a Monday.
00:32:39.200 --> 00:32:42.720
Thankfully, Jim is always our Friday.
00:32:44.160 --> 00:32:45.279
It's time for Mr.
00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:50.000
Eichenhofer to give his players of the week and a player to watch for this week.
00:32:50.160 --> 00:32:51.920
What you got, big guy.
00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:53.839
Thank you, Mallory.
00:32:54.000 --> 00:33:00.160
Well, I mean, the Pelicans didn't win any of their games last week, but I thought if there was a bright spot, it was Eve Meesey.
00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:03.119
I mean, he had one of the best weeks of his career so far.
00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:07.680
Um he's he's basically a month and a half into his rookie season.
00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:15.200
Over the four games, he averaged 13.5 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, shot 58% from the field.
00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:18.400
And I thought, too, he did it against some very good competition.
00:33:18.559 --> 00:33:24.960
It wasn't like he was playing against, you know, backups or guys that are kind of lower end centers and big guys.
00:33:25.119 --> 00:33:32.160
The Pelicans played against um Miles Turner, Jakob Purdle, Jaron Jackson Jr., Carl Anthony Towns.
00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:37.920
So I mean, it was uh it was a really quality performance from the rookie from Baylor.
00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:41.119
And I I think we just love the fact that we keep seeing new things from him.
00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:47.359
We keeps we saw there was a baseline kind of reverse layup with incredible footwork against Memphis.
00:33:47.519 --> 00:33:49.359
Just things that are eye-opening.
00:33:49.599 --> 00:33:54.880
Um the player to watch for week seven, I'm gonna go with DeJounte Murray.
00:33:54.960 --> 00:34:02.720
I mean, partly because obviously the Pelicans are playing Atlanta tonight, and this is his first opportunity to go against the Hawks since the trade.
00:34:03.039 --> 00:34:11.519
He did not play in the November 3rd game that Atlanta won 126 to 111 because he he had broken his hand a few games before that.
00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:26.400
But um not only tonight DeJounte Murray against Trey Young of the Hawks, but the rest of the week, Phoenix has Devin Booker, Oklahoma City has Shea Gildis Alexander, and then on Sunday, Chris Paul for San Antonio.
00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:34.000
So a bunch of again interesting guard matchups and players that the Pelicans are gonna have to contend with.
00:34:34.480 --> 00:34:40.960
Um but uh I'm I'm interested to see how DeJounte plays because he's definitely still trying to get into a rhythm.
00:34:41.199 --> 00:34:51.519
I mentioned his shooting earlier in the show is way down, but I think some of that just if over the course of his career, he always ends up kind of in the mid-30s, three-point percentage-wise.
00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:53.119
He's at twenty-four right now.
00:34:53.199 --> 00:35:01.440
So I think there's just a lot of things that we're still um waiting to see from him as he kind of gets back to the player that he's been throughout his career.
00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:02.320
Yeah.
00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:04.800
Um see what takes place here, Jim.
00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:06.239
We got a couple of games this week.
00:35:06.320 --> 00:35:13.039
Obviously, tonight's the team taking on the Atlanta Hawks, another team that with Trey Young's been having a nice season there.
00:35:13.199 --> 00:35:15.440
And then, man, it's it's kind of a busy week.
00:35:15.519 --> 00:35:16.800
Tuesday, Wednesday, no game.
00:35:16.960 --> 00:35:23.519
Thursday, you got a game, back to back, Saturday, Sunday, and that's gonna be a home and road game, I guess, to set up the week for us.
00:35:24.079 --> 00:35:28.320
Yeah, I mean, once again, I mean, the Hawks are 10 and 11.
00:35:28.400 --> 00:35:31.840
They actually have the worst record of the four teams that the Pelicans are playing against.
00:35:32.079 --> 00:35:35.519
So this is not a by no means is this a break in the schedule.
00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:39.280
This is another stretch where they're playing against teams that are really good.
00:35:39.440 --> 00:35:41.519
Oklahoma City's at the top of the west.
00:35:41.840 --> 00:35:44.639
Phoenix has been better since Kevin Durant came back.
00:35:44.880 --> 00:35:48.719
The Spurs, I think, are impressive by being over 500.
00:35:48.800 --> 00:35:50.079
So it's gonna be difficult.
00:35:50.239 --> 00:35:54.880
And by the way, you know, this is this is week seven that we're in right now in the NBA schedule.
00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:58.559
Week eight, we still don't know when the games are for the Pelicans.
00:35:58.639 --> 00:36:01.039
They're gonna be there's gonna be two games added to their schedule.
00:36:01.280 --> 00:36:10.800
And I think by the time that we record on Wednesday, the next show, we'll we will probably know those, so we'll be able to kind of go through which are the two games that have been added.
00:36:10.960 --> 00:36:19.039
Um by the end of Tuesday night, the NBA will know which eight teams have made it to the cup quarterfinals and which 22 teams are not.
00:36:19.199 --> 00:36:28.400
They're gonna take the 22 teams, with obviously the Pelicans being one of those 22, and they're gonna match them up um over two games apiece for all 22 of those squads.
00:36:28.559 --> 00:36:28.719
Right.
00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:30.159
So we'll be able to go from there.
00:36:30.320 --> 00:36:33.920
And by the way, just kind of a quick NBA Cup update, focusing on the West.
00:36:34.320 --> 00:36:36.559
Tuesday night's the end of the group stage.
00:36:36.719 --> 00:36:40.639
The two teams from the West that have gotten in already are Houston and Golden State.
00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:53.360
And we're not gonna we don't have time, and we don't need to get into the all the different permutations and complications and scenarios, but my predictions, and we'll see for the other two West teams, we'll see how right I was on Wednesday.
00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:57.280
Um, I crunched the numbers, went through a different different stuff.
00:36:57.440 --> 00:36:59.360
Oklahoma City and Dallas are my picks.
00:36:59.519 --> 00:37:04.159
Those are the going to be the two teams that join Houston and Golden State as the four West teams.
00:37:04.239 --> 00:37:07.280
So hold hold me to that on Wednesday, and we can talk about that a little bit more.
00:37:07.760 --> 00:37:10.320
We'll talk more about this as we go on, especially once we get into the gap.
00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:14.559
Those four teams are now playing some pretty good basketball, pretty tough teams here as well.
00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:16.800
Look, Houston won again yesterday.
00:37:17.039 --> 00:37:19.920
We were talking about that with uh the conductor in our post-game show.
00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:25.039
That that team, I I think I'm not saying, you know, I the whole phrase there for real.
00:37:25.119 --> 00:37:28.639
Like you're you're not where you are right now at this point of the season if you're not a good basketball team.
00:37:28.719 --> 00:37:28.880
Right.
00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:32.480
So good enough to say that Houston is right now a good basketball team?
00:37:32.800 --> 00:37:38.320
I mean, for them to be on the verge of taking over first place in the West, they're only half game behind Oklahoma City.
00:37:38.400 --> 00:37:38.480
Right.
00:37:38.639 --> 00:37:39.920
I mean, that says enough right there.
00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:40.320
Right.
00:37:40.400 --> 00:37:47.280
I mean, even if it was even if it was 10 games into the season, if you're right there for the number one spot in the conference, I'm impressed by that.
00:37:47.440 --> 00:37:54.000
So yeah, I mean, we're we're basically a quarter of the way through the season, and Oklahoma City's 15 and five, Houston's 15 and six.
00:37:54.079 --> 00:37:55.119
So they're right there.
00:37:55.199 --> 00:37:58.880
I mean, they could be they could be in first place in the West sometime this week.
00:37:59.039 --> 00:38:14.719
So that is a really big statement based on they went 41 to 41 last year, and I I thought people thought they were gonna make a jump, but man, to no, I don't think even the most optimistic over-the-top Rockets fan was like, yeah, we'll we'll be in content for the one seed.
00:38:14.880 --> 00:38:15.199
No doubt.
00:38:15.360 --> 00:38:25.440
As we close up, three teams currently, we got a lot of season to go, but right now, as we start the month of December, Jim, three teams that were not in the playoffs last year, in the playoffs right now, right?
00:38:25.599 --> 00:38:29.280
I mean, the Spurs are in the 10th spot, Memphis and Houston.
00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:32.800
I understand no job, but still, they were not in the playoffs last year.
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:41.760
Three teams that were in the playoffs last year, currently out of the 10th spot looking in, as we start the month of December, Minnesota, Sacramento, and New Orleans.
00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:43.920
So you never know how the seasons can go.
00:38:44.000 --> 00:38:46.000
I know there's injuries, I know it's different reasons.
00:38:46.079 --> 00:38:55.360
I'm just saying as we start the month of December, we'll see where we are in January, but there's three teams, you know, that we're not in that are in right now.
00:38:55.440 --> 00:38:59.280
And I know we have a lot of basketball to play, but that's just kind of how the season is as we start.
00:38:59.519 --> 00:39:09.280
Yeah, and I mean I I'm not really that's uh I'm surprised maybe by which teams it is, but I'm not surprised that there's been some jumbling of the competition just because the West is so good.
00:39:09.519 --> 00:39:20.800
I mean, you can't drop the Pelicans, have obviously dropped off a lot, but you can't drop off drop off even a little bit and not expect to to fall aways in the standings, which I think is definitely what's happening so far with Minnesota and Sacramento.
00:39:20.880 --> 00:39:21.199
No doubt.
00:39:21.280 --> 00:39:22.320
That is Jim Iconoffer.
00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:23.119
Give a follow.
00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:28.480
You get all of his preview stuff and post-game stuff for the game against the Hawks tonight on Pelicans.com.
00:39:28.559 --> 00:39:31.760
And again on Wednesday, you'll hear us here on the Pelicans Podcast.
00:39:31.920 --> 00:39:32.880
Thank you so much, Jim, as always.
00:39:33.039 --> 00:39:33.519
Thanks, Gus.
00:39:33.599 --> 00:39:36.480
All right, we'll see you next time on the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast.
00:39:36.960 --> 00:39:40.800
Thanks for listening to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast.
00:39:41.039 --> 00:39:50.880
Join us three times per week on Pelicans.com, the Pelicans Mobile app, the iHeartRadio app, or where you get your podcast.
00:39:51.039 --> 00:39:59.599
And be sure to give Jim and Gus a follow on X at Jim underscore Icanoffer and Gcap underscore 17.
00:40:00.079 --> 00:40:06.159
We'll see you next time, right here on the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast.
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Welcome in to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast, the official podcast of your New Orleans Pelicans.
00:00:58.320 --> 00:01:02.640
A podcast dedicated to everything you need to know about the squad.
00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:09.519
Hear from players, coaches, broadcasters, and those who cover the NBA on a daily basis.
00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:12.000
It's time to flock up.
00:01:12.239 --> 00:01:16.159
The New Orleans Pelicans podcast starts right now.
00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:23.359
Hello, everyone, and welcome again to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast, the official podcast of your New Orleans Pelicans.
00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:24.640
I'm Gus Captain Gell.
00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:27.760
Happy Monday to you in the month of December.
00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:28.400
Mr.
00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:30.959
Jim Eichenhoff from New OrleansPelicans.com.
00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:32.159
We are in a new month.
00:01:32.319 --> 00:01:33.519
Our beliefs are already.
00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:34.719
Wait, where'd November go?
00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:37.120
Yeah, where did 2024 go as well?
00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:40.239
I can't believe we're almost ready to turn the page to a new year.
00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:50.959
Well, for the Pelicans, I'm sure they're ready to turn uh new month, new week, new something, new leaf, however you want to look at it, as the Pelicans, since we last chatted with you, have yet to win a game.
00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:54.959
They lost at Memphis on Friday, 120 to 109 in a good game.
00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:56.079
Jim, they competed.
00:01:56.159 --> 00:02:01.840
It's just Jean Morant is Jean Morant, and it it was the three-point shot that was the real difference maker there.
00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:02.799
Yeah, it was.
00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:09.919
I mean, it seemed like the Pelicans stayed somewhat in the game, but I I never felt like they could get enough defensive stops.
00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:14.479
And the Grizzlies also turned you over a little bit too much, especially in the first half.
00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:18.479
They were able to get a pretty big cushion and and uh put it away in the second half.
00:02:18.639 --> 00:02:23.520
Yeah, 12-9, the difference in three-pointers made, but they shot 41-29.
00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:32.560
I don't know if that really had much of a difference in it, Jim, but again, the three-point shot kind of rear his ugly head when he came to last night's game against the Knicks.
00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:35.919
20-4 made three-point attempts.
00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:39.280
The three-point shots just it's tough to overcome in the league, isn't it?
00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:39.680
It is.
00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:50.479
And I mean, I'm gonna get into this here in a second, but it just seems like the Pelicans have a bunch of guys that are vastly under performing what they've done throughout their career from the three-point arc, so that definitely has hurt a lot.
00:02:50.719 --> 00:03:01.039
There was two highlights in particular that kind of told uh the tale in case you were watching the Saints game last night or just didn't really get a chance or wondered how did the Pells barely score ten points in the first quarter?
00:03:01.199 --> 00:03:02.479
Well, this is kind of how it went.
00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:03.360
This is the first quarter.
00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:10.240
Now the Penals feed the tastes drives in and he's tempted to come up with the number one.
00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:46.319
No, he's gonna throw it to McDonald, sets his feet, left the angle three, nothing, but then 42-14, New York, 9-15 to go.
00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:48.400
Jimmy Hurd knows highlights there.
00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:50.080
There's a defensive play, right?
00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:51.439
Tice blocks it.
00:03:51.520 --> 00:03:54.319
It turns into a three-point ball for the Knicks.
00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:56.960
You have Javante Green gets a block.
00:03:57.199 --> 00:03:59.520
Three-point attempt by CJ McCullum, no good.
00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:00.960
They get a three-point bucket.
00:04:01.120 --> 00:04:03.360
It's I I had never seen anything like this.
00:04:03.439 --> 00:04:09.360
I'm looking back at the last seven games, and the Pells have been down 34, 40 points, 17, 12.
00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:12.080
I mean it just doesn't seem normal.
00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:16.000
No, I mean, last night to me was the first quarter.
00:04:16.079 --> 00:04:24.240
I mean, maybe maybe the whole first half was Murphy's Law, and by by that I don't mean Trey Murphy, but I mean the whenever anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:35.120
I mean, not only did they make some good defensive plays that turned into open threes for the Knicks, but also it seemed like every shot, not every shot, a bunch of shots were halfway in and rolled out.
00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:38.480
So I mean, there was just no nothing positive.
00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:42.240
It just seemed like every single break went in the Knicks' favor.
00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:54.800
But you're you're right, it is kind of a continuation of they've had so many starts lately where they're down by a margin that you would say even if you were at full strength, it's gonna be tough to impossible to come back from 25, 30 points.
00:04:55.040 --> 00:05:02.240
But with some of the other guys that are out right now, it's even more hard to imagine that you can rally from down by some of these margins.
00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:05.279
Murphy's Law and the Snowball effect, same neighborhood, same person?
00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:09.759
I think it might I don't know if it's the same person, but it's they might yeah, they might be they might have been neighbors.
00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:13.279
I kind of feel like the snowball effect is is that like that snowball.
00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:17.759
I mean, it's not just if one thing can go wrong, one thing goes wrong, and then oh, here comes the snowball.
00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:18.000
Right.
00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:21.759
Murphy's law is kind of like is it more like a trickling or a damning effect?
00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:28.639
Because I'm trying to just to look at how do you get to where you're down 34, 41, double digits.
00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:31.199
It is Is it a cascade of events, right?
00:05:31.839 --> 00:05:34.000
It takes a village to be down by 35, 40 points.
00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:35.040
I mean it right now.
00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:35.920
You like a three-point shooting?
00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:37.920
You need to play poorly on defense.
00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:44.639
Um, one of the things that Antonio Daniels talked about a lot during the TV broadcast last night was that there was a lot of miscommunication on defense.
00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:50.480
There was a lot of breakdowns where two guys would go to one man and therefore somebody's wide open for the Knicks.
00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:52.160
I mean, that was a a problem as well.
00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:54.480
But I mean, you have to turn the ball over a lot.
00:05:54.560 --> 00:05:59.680
I mean, there's so much especially for that to happen in the first half to be down by that large of a number.
00:05:59.839 --> 00:06:08.319
I mean, you really have to do so many different things poorly to be able to and and I mean sometimes too, if you do all that stuff against a good team, too.
00:06:08.399 --> 00:06:20.720
I mean, there might be some opponents where you you have a a C minus effort and you're still in the game, but I mean, they've played a bunch of teams lately where if you put that kind of performance on the floor, you're gonna be in big trouble.
00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:23.360
I think you you probably have a better memory than this.
00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:28.240
Andrew Lopez told Graf before the game, and I'm sure he said it on the on the broadcast.
00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:30.160
I saw the graphic, I just can't remember it.
00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:33.839
Pels are up to what, 14, 15 different lineups in in how many years?
00:06:34.240 --> 00:06:34.959
15 in the first 20.
00:06:35.279 --> 00:06:35.519
21.
00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:41.040
I think it's still 15 out of 21 now, because they actually somehow did put the same lineup together two games in a row.
00:06:41.279 --> 00:06:41.759
Correct.
00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:45.040
The Knicks, 17, 18 straight, or something like that, right?
00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:49.040
And they only had two, they've only used two different starting lineups the whole season, which is incredible.
00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:56.800
So that that's what I'm trying to get at too, because again, I I'm not I'm not trying to find something, but I'm also trying to make sense of some of those things.
00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:09.839
Could it also be, Jim, where we sit near because I'm thinking the last seven games, down 41 twice, down 34 twice, down 17 twice, only one time have you not been down double digits.
00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:12.319
But I feel like you've gotten players back.
00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:28.800
Could we have maybe overlooked the fact, hey, these guys are coming back, the Jante's coming back, CJ's coming back, Trey is back, now we're gonna get rolling and going, and maybe have we forgotten the fact that, well, they haven't played in two or three weeks, and it's just going to take time because there was one play when Messi picked up a second foul.
00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:42.240
CJ McCullum peeks to the right, trying to, and he's verbalizing something defensively, and credit call Anthony Towns, who's on the left wing, saw it, took off past him, drove right at Eve Missy, second personal foul, first quarter.
00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:43.680
But that's what I'm getting at, right?
00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:48.639
One of those things like that where you're maybe trying to communicate you haven't played with all these people in a while.
00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:49.920
I could could that be a reason?
00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:51.120
I mean, a hundred percent.
00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:59.600
You have to you have to think too that I mean, we've seen this unfortunately in a painful fashion, that it's not just the guy gets back on the court and everything's back to normal.
00:07:59.680 --> 00:08:05.040
You have to figure out the chemistry, you have to figure out guys that haven't played with each other, that kind of thing.
00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:25.120
I also think too that I mean, I don't need to tell Pelicans fans the difficulties that come with guys being injured, but to me, one of them too is that there's certain things that I feel like they're duplications of guys they don't have a good balance of defenders and offensive players right now either, because you know, Herb's not back yet.
00:08:25.360 --> 00:08:26.480
Jose's out.
00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:42.000
So, I mean, normally the balance that this roster has, and we saw this a lot last year, one of the reasons they won 49 games was because they had a pretty good mix of enough guys that can score on offense and put up enough points and then the defense, which was brought a lot by some of the guys off the bench.
00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:55.679
But I mean, now it's just it's like a a mishmash of like to me, they have enough offense right now, but they probably don't have enough defense, is one of the reasons why they're ranked towards the bottom of the league in defensive efficiency.
00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:15.279
So I mean, it's just when you when you envision the way a team is gonna look and you look at all the different pieces, but you pull certain ones out, now all of a sudden the chemistry, not just from the standpoint of lack of familiarity with each other, but just the skill sets that you need across the board to be successful, some of them are are not on the table right now.
00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:17.279
So I mean that I think that's a big part of it as well.
00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:20.320
Yeah, it just makes it tough uh when you look at it all the way around.
00:09:20.399 --> 00:09:26.879
Coming up in a little bit, you'll hear an interview with Andrew Lopez as he's got a chance to sit down with Alfred Payton over the weekend.
00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:37.759
And and I guess that's one of those things that I kind of want to bring up too, is like you you're having all these players come in, they get a rhythm and a role, and now they're having to maybe adjust in different roles here as well, right?
00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:38.399
Sure.
00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:40.320
I mean, that's that's part of it as well.
00:09:40.480 --> 00:09:53.519
So I mean, you know, one thing I wanted to talk about briefly too before we get to the Alfred Payton interview, you know, I I hear people, you know, Pelicans are four and seventeen right now, and everything pretty much is going wrong in so many different ways.
00:09:53.759 --> 00:10:05.039
I hear people say, you know, people that are being negative, which I totally understand the negativity right now, people say, like, well, you know, I expected this, and I and I go back to like no, you did not expect this.
00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:14.000
I mean, one of the things I looked at was if you go back to two seasons ago, right after when they traded for CJ McCollum, they finished that regular season nine and six.
00:10:14.159 --> 00:10:23.120
So if you start from that point and you go through to the beginning of the start of this season, the Pelicans were a hundred wins and seventy-nine losses over that entire span.
00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:29.440
So you're talking about this was a really good team, but to me, there's a bunch of things that have happened that I can't believe.
00:10:29.600 --> 00:10:34.000
Things that you just could not have predicted, things that there's no way that you could expect.
00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:38.320
And I and granted, uh, a big chunk of this is injuries and guys being out.
00:10:38.480 --> 00:10:48.720
So I'm not gonna say that every single time, but I mean you have to factor that into they were sixth in defense two seasons ago, sixth in defense last season, they're 27th in defense this year.
00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:50.559
Here's a good stat too.
00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:54.559
They were th they were the they had the fourth best three-point percentage last season.
00:10:54.879 --> 00:10:56.240
This season they have the fourth worst.
00:10:56.639 --> 00:10:58.399
So I mean it's a total flip.
00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:06.399
Um if you look at individual guys as well, um Trey Murphy career 39% three-point shooter, he's shooting 30%.
00:11:06.879 --> 00:11:07.360
C.J.
00:11:07.519 --> 00:11:10.559
McCollum, 40% career 35 this season.
00:11:10.799 --> 00:11:15.039
DeJounte Murray, 34%, he's shooting 24% this season.
00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:35.679
So I I I guess the question that I I ask is, I mean, how much of this is the way the season's gonna go all year, or how much of this is, and to borrow one of John DeShazer's expressions that I love, the where he talks about you players always go back to the w what's on the back of their baseball card or basketball card, I guess it would be in this case.
00:11:35.919 --> 00:11:44.080
So I just think that across the board there's so many different things that are happening that are not only things that you wouldn't expect, but they're all negative.
00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:50.639
Yeah, there's hardly anything where you say going into the season, I expected this and it's going better than I thought it would be.
00:11:50.799 --> 00:12:02.639
So you add all that stuff together, you throw in the injuries and the chemistry uh adjustments and stuff like that, and and you end up with an eight-game losing streak and four and seventeen and extreme disappointment.
00:12:02.799 --> 00:12:14.879
But I just I just wonder, like, I just can't imagine, and I've I mean I've been surprised so many times already in the first 21 games, but I just can't imagine that all this stuff across the board is gonna continue the way it's gone.
00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:23.440
I mean, we're talking some of the guys I listed, CJ McCollum, like 12 years in the NBA, DeJounte Murray, eight years in the NBA, Trey Murphy has proven that he's an elite shooter.
00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:27.600
So you would think that some of this stuff has got to turn, right, Gus?
00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:28.960
You would think so.
00:12:29.200 --> 00:12:33.200
And look, I think at the end of the day, it goes to this, and we'll do this here real quick.
00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:39.519
Um, and then get to the interview, but I I think what Willie Green says here is very interesting.
00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:44.480
He was asked, what does he see right now when he looks out on a court at his basketball team?
00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:47.360
We just we gotta find our confidence.
00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:49.120
Uh that's the biggest thing I saw.
00:12:49.360 --> 00:12:55.039
Just, you know, falling in love with the competition of basketball.
00:12:55.120 --> 00:13:04.639
And it really starts with our confidence, our belief when we step on the floor that we have what it takes to go in these games and compete at the highest level and give ourselves a chance to win.
00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:10.480
Doesn't mean you're gonna win every game, but it just starts with uh our group having more confidence in what they're doing.
00:13:10.960 --> 00:13:15.120
I think it's one of those things where I think it's easy to be like, well, how do you not have any confidence?
00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:15.600
Get out there.
00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:18.559
I mean, this is what you do, this is what you're paid to do, this is your job and all that.
00:13:18.720 --> 00:13:21.519
I think we've all been in situations, I call it the rut, right?
00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:24.240
Where, I don't know, relationship, work-wise.
00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:34.000
I mean it just it it seem it seems like to your earlier analysis or I guess analogy of either the snowball effect or Murphy's Law, right?
00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:46.080
When one thing kind of happens, it just kind of feeds to one another, even though you're not letting it do, like I sometimes, you know, I don't know, you have a breakup or a bad day work and you turn on the radio, and just so happens that song's exactly what that is, right?
00:13:46.480 --> 00:14:00.720
I I don't know if that's like the universe working like that, but you get what I'm getting at, where I feel like that's when he's saying that confidence thing is you're sitting there, you may have approached the game, you may be ready to go, and then all of a sudden you look up and I'm like, is it really 24 to 4?
00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:02.080
And you're no, that's exactly what you're doing.
00:14:02.240 --> 00:14:02.720
You know what I'm saying?
00:14:02.960 --> 00:14:17.840
I think tangibly, I think with with the way the NBA schedule is, where you're playing so many games, but you also have 48 hours, sometimes 72 hours to get ready for the next game, you can trick you not trick yourself, but you can convince yourself, okay, this is a fresh start.
00:14:17.919 --> 00:14:22.000
We're gonna, we're gonna, it's zero-zero, you know, let's go into this game confidently.
00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:33.360
But then when you're down 25 points in the first half, whatever belief and confidence that you had, it's like somebody came up with a baseball bat and just smashed it into pieces on the ground and that and it just goes away.
00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:46.080
So I mean, somehow they're gonna have to figure out a way to it's great to you can say whatever you want and you can talk about confidence and I mean the the word that he used was belief too, the the belief in the ability for you to win games.
00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:53.679
But I mean, you can talk about it all you want, but if if you're down 30 something, 40 something points, that I mean that it doesn't really amount to much.
00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:54.480
Yeah, no doubt.
00:14:54.559 --> 00:14:55.039
And it's just crazy.
00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:56.480
I mean, those shots are hitting the rim.
00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:03.039
Is I I don't think Jim Pelicans players walk out on the court and I'm gonna purposely hit the the side of the backboard.
00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:10.480
You know, so many of those shots at the rim last night are going in and out, and then when you see a three on the other end, it just hurts you.
00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:11.519
Here's DeJounte Murray.
00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:13.200
You gotta compete.
00:15:13.279 --> 00:15:13.919
I just said it.
00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:15.679
You want me to repeat it again?
00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:18.080
Uh gotta be tough.
00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:19.919
You can't let guys do whatever they want.
00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:23.279
You let anybody this lead the best of the best for a reason, you know.
00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:27.279
Dudes are professional NBA basketball players for a reason.
00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:29.519
So you let dudes do whatever they want.
00:15:29.600 --> 00:15:34.559
They get to the free throw line, they making open shots, shooting open shots, getting to the rim, getting layups.
00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:35.279
We talk about it.
00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:41.679
We don't get easy layups, we don't get wide open shots like that, so it comes down to matching energy, you know.
00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:47.919
But that should be our identity from the tip, you know, just being tough and making teams feel us uh for the whole game, no matter who you are.
00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:49.279
If you start, come off the bench.
00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:52.240
When Deunte speaks there, is he talking about a controllable?
00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:53.360
You know what I mean?
00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:54.879
I can control that.
00:15:55.200 --> 00:15:58.799
I think to me, there's definitely an element that you have to factor in.
00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:03.519
He I the part that he said about we're not getting layups, we're not getting easy baskets.
00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:07.200
To me, there's definitely an element to that of not having some of your main guys.
00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:12.799
Like Zion not only gets easy baskets for himself, but he creates a bunch of easy looks for everybody else.
00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:14.639
You don't have Brandon Ingram right now.
00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:19.919
When you don't have you know your top guys, that that is a kind of a consequence of that.
00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:26.320
But but I also think too that the shooting part of basketball, we're we're we we're not we can't figure it out.
00:16:26.399 --> 00:16:29.919
We're never gonna be able to figure out why does Antonio Reeves have 34 points in a game?
00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:32.240
You know, why does he get on a roll like that?
00:16:32.399 --> 00:16:38.080
You know, why does Dalton Connect make nine threes in a game and then maybe the next game he has four points?
00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:38.399
Right.
00:16:38.559 --> 00:16:40.000
It's just that's part of basketball.
00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:40.320
Right.
00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:44.480
But I go back to what I said about the three-point percentages.
00:16:44.720 --> 00:16:54.399
I think that all the guys who've struggled so far um would shoot better if the team was more complete and they had some of their main guys that draw attention.
00:16:54.559 --> 00:16:56.799
But I also think that some of that is just fluky.
00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:59.279
That it's just I can't explain it.
00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:06.480
If I could, I'd probably be making like, you know, a lot more ten figures, nine figures, whatever it is.
00:17:06.799 --> 00:17:08.559
That's why uh sports psychology is such a great.
00:17:08.799 --> 00:17:08.960
Right.
00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:10.400
But I mean that's just part of it.
00:17:10.559 --> 00:17:22.160
And and you know, I don't have any answers for why they're shooting at the level that they are, other than if they were more whole as a roster, I think it'd be easier to get easy baskets for sure.
00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:22.640
No doubt.
00:17:22.799 --> 00:17:25.359
Well, Jim, you said this season hasn't gone according to plan.
00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:28.000
There have been some interesting and some nice storylines.
00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:30.319
The development of Eve Messi, we've talked a lot about that.
00:17:30.559 --> 00:17:37.279
Helford Payton, man, being a guy from Gretna, right across the river, to be able to play for the Pells and contribute this season.
00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:41.759
It's one of the reasons Andrew Lopez of the Gulf Coast Sports and Entertainment Network wanted to chat with him.
00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:43.359
He caught up with him over the weekend.
00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:44.880
Here is his conversation.
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Andrew Lopez here with Alfred Payton, Gretna's finest in the building, uh, as we are here on the road in New York City getting things ready on this road trip.
00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:40.720
Alfred, uh, what has this kind of just been like for you, kind of getting back used to the team?
00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:44.400
And oh, by the way, you have to start and play this one of minutes as soon as you get here.
00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:45.680
Uh it's been a lot.
00:19:45.759 --> 00:19:53.119
Um, you know, just trying to get you know back acclimated to, you know, playing in the league and then, you know, playing along in this with this team.
00:19:53.359 --> 00:20:00.960
Um, you know, I spent a little time here at the preseason, so uh not totally new, but uh still you know some things to fine-tune.
00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:11.039
Your first season here was a lot like kind of this season, is in the potential was there and you saw so much, and then there was an injury here, an injury there.
00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:14.079
You I mean you specifically that that that that first time here.
00:20:14.240 --> 00:20:16.960
How how have you seen similarities between these the two years so far?
00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:25.359
Yeah, like you said, just uh a lot of potential um that we, you know, haven't necessarily had a chance to see yet because of because of the injuries.
00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:32.079
Um I think this is a a close group though, and I think once we get everybody back healthy, it'll be another challenge.
00:20:32.319 --> 00:20:38.000
Uh, you know, trying to find a rhythm once once they get back, but I think that'll put us in a position to to make a run.
00:20:38.240 --> 00:20:45.359
Do you ever think about how that first year, how things might have gone different when you don't get injured and then kind of things kinda started to to kind of snowfall from there?
00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:46.480
Yeah, for sure, all the time.
00:20:46.559 --> 00:20:47.440
I think about it all the time.
00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:57.839
Uh it's funny, I was talking to Etoan uh a couple weeks ago, and we just was talking about how um you know we only felt like Golden State would have been the only team that could possibly beat us there, yeah.
00:20:58.480 --> 00:21:06.559
Um so far we we've seen this kind of progression away from pass first point guards.
00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:19.039
Uh we have two guys here, and you you and DeJounte who like to make the pass first, obviously both of you can score when needed, but why do you think that that style of play has kind of decreased in the league in in recent years?
00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:27.920
Uh I think it's because uh for one, just the game has turned into more of a three-point shooting thing.
00:21:28.160 --> 00:21:30.240
Uh they want more three-point shooting.
00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:34.079
And uh and I think it's just not rewarded.
00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:40.319
Um you don't really see, you know, past first point guards get rewarded as far as like accolades are money.
00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:43.680
Um so I think young guys Yeah, last one's probably a big part of it.
00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:44.559
Yeah, for sure.
00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:46.799
I if you go for the money, you know what I'm saying?
00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:52.720
Uh I think young guys coming in seeing guys play a certain way, um, they figure why not play that way?
00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:55.359
Because that's what you know, that's what the what the game is gearing towards.
00:21:55.839 --> 00:21:59.680
It seems like though there's there's kind of like a a small regression of guys who are high.
00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:02.559
Like I think of like Trey and Tyus.
00:22:02.640 --> 00:22:02.720
Yeah.
00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:05.839
I think of you know you did even D TJ McConnell.
00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:08.559
Like there's a there's a a a spot for those guys.
00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:09.519
Yeah, for sure.
00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:16.640
Whereas like and it's not necessarily okay, I gotta be a pass first guy, but you don't want a pass first guy who's maybe eight assists, six turnovers.
00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:17.119
You know what I mean?
00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:17.759
Like right, right.
00:22:18.319 --> 00:22:23.759
The low turnover part is kind of maybe like more important than high assist numbers nowadays, yeah.
00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:24.640
Yeah, I would think so.
00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:25.359
I would think so.
00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:30.160
And I think it also goes to like what's value on that team, you know.
00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:36.160
Um these guys have found spots that that team values what they do and they and they do a good job at their job.
00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:43.359
Like TJ McConnell had a great spot in in Indiana last year and and really helped those guys and they run towards the uh Eastern Congress final.
00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:46.400
So it's about what you know what teams placing uh they value on.
00:22:46.640 --> 00:22:50.720
You you spent some time up there last year, mad ants and and and doing that.
00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:57.279
What were what were those kind of two years like in the in the G kind of trying to navigate your way back to this?
00:22:57.519 --> 00:22:59.599
Uh it it was a journey for sure.
00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:05.920
Um, I just was I'm a big person on trying to be present, you know, wherever my feet was at.
00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:12.559
So um I try not to think about where I should be or what I should be doing.
00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:18.000
I was there, I was trying to get better every day, uh trying to win games, and and just trying to help those young guys.
00:23:18.079 --> 00:23:31.119
Like I said, you know, trying to show them, you know, what a pro looks like, you know, what it means to come to work every day, um, what it takes, and and you know, for the most part, try to tell them, you know, what teams are looking for, uh to help them, you know, along in their career and stuff like that.
00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:33.839
So um it was it was fun, man.
00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:34.960
I had I had a good time.
00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:45.599
What was it about going that route rather than trying to go to Europe or go anywhere like w w what made you want to do that instead?
00:23:45.920 --> 00:23:54.480
Um so it's like going on January, February, um, and I'm just like I'm tired of working out.
00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:57.839
So I wanna I wanna, you know, I wanna play, I wanna compete.
00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:00.720
And just kinda asking a few people, honestly, be great.
00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:01.680
I actually be great too.
00:24:01.759 --> 00:24:03.279
Like, yo, you think what you think I should do?
00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:04.640
He's like, yo, you could play in the G League.
00:24:04.799 --> 00:24:05.759
And I was like, Yeah, you think so?
00:24:05.920 --> 00:24:07.440
And he's like, Yeah, it's just no, it's not that bad.
00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:07.920
Woo-woo.
00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:20.960
I wound up doing the G League, and then I played to finish the season out, and uh I guess I didn't realize how close the G League was, like how much, you know, uh teams.
00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:22.319
Like how much teams use it.
00:24:22.720 --> 00:24:23.359
Yeah, yeah.
00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:26.799
Because I want to say because when you were a rookie, it probably was a lot different.
00:24:27.119 --> 00:24:30.720
Yeah, I and I'm gonna be honest, I never watched a G League game.
00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:34.319
To be honest, I watched maybe one G League game because one of my players was playing, right?
00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:35.920
And it was on NBA TV.
00:24:36.079 --> 00:24:39.039
And but I didn't realize, you know, how close it was.
00:24:39.200 --> 00:24:42.640
And then Indiana for for one is one of the best.
00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:50.799
Like we was in their facility, we was able to use their stuff, um, have access to their you know, equipment and facilities and stuff like that.
00:24:50.960 --> 00:25:02.480
So uh going into that next year, I was like, yeah, I might as well just do it because it it's it was so close and they you know they do a good job um, you know, being there on a daily basis.
00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:07.119
And most teams do, you know, they gotta watch they they want to see their two-ways, they want to see their assignments.
00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:08.720
So it you're closer than you think.
00:25:08.880 --> 00:25:12.880
And I just was like, I felt like being in Europe, I just was out the way.
00:25:12.960 --> 00:25:15.039
I felt like, you know, there's guys that's done it, you've seen Dr.
00:25:15.279 --> 00:25:22.960
Exxon come back, um, there's a few other guys that was able to come back, but I just felt like that would have been too far uh for me.
00:25:23.519 --> 00:25:26.160
For what were other players telling you around that time?
00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:32.000
Guys you were seeing in the in the G or I know you played, you mean you play and pickup with these guys during the summer.
00:25:32.079 --> 00:25:34.160
Like, what were other people telling you during that time?
00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:40.559
Uh, I mean, you know, just regular stuff like, you know, you should be in the league, you know, this is you know, it's kind of crazy.
00:25:40.799 --> 00:25:48.559
Um, you know, some people saying I should go overseas because obviously it, you know, felt like I could have made X amount of dollars.
00:25:48.799 --> 00:25:54.960
Uh and you know, frankly, some people feel like, you know, you have you have more value, but uh people respect you.
00:25:55.200 --> 00:26:06.000
Um you know, they take care of you and stuff like that, as opposed to trying to carve out a league that's quote unquote not showing you know respect to to what you do or what you bring to the team.
00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:08.559
So it was a little bit, it was a mix, it was a mix.
00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:15.200
Um but at the end of the day, I just went with my guts in and decided to do the G League.
00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:18.880
And I know you I mean you you you stay in New Orleans during the summer.
00:26:19.039 --> 00:26:27.039
And how how much did did playing pickup with those guys you think help kind of start getting the ball rolling toward this season?
00:26:27.440 --> 00:26:28.319
Yeah, a lot, man.
00:26:28.480 --> 00:26:28.880
A lot.
00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:31.200
Um it's it's been a journey.
00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:32.240
I would do all kinds of stuff.
00:26:32.400 --> 00:26:41.359
So I was I was training with certain teams too, and uh, you know, just being in the gym, and that kind of um helped me too.
00:26:41.440 --> 00:26:47.759
Like just obviously I feel a certain way, but sometimes like in sports, I don't know what other people is until you could do it.
00:26:49.279 --> 00:26:49.920
You know what I'm saying?
00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:58.720
So playing with them and being able to hold my own and still be able to do some of the things that I was able to do, I was like, I don't know I don't know, I I for sure I could still play.
00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:05.759
So it definitely got the ball rolling, playing pickup here, and you know, was able to get invited to training camp and kind of go from there.
00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:10.480
Did you did you ever think that the that the the NBA side of this was done?
00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:20.799
Did you think like, alright, hey man, I'm if if if I gotta be a G League guy for the next three, four years and help teach guys, that's what I'm gonna do, and then do the next step, or or you always that whole time you're like, I'ma be back.
00:27:21.119 --> 00:27:23.680
Uh I mean I had it's tough.
00:27:23.759 --> 00:27:24.160
It's too far.
00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:25.119
I mean, it's it's days.
00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:26.240
It goes days, it's days.
00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:38.960
You have days where you're like, alright, um, you know, whatever, I'll do the G League one more year, and then if not, then I'll probably go seize until I'm done playing and then get into whatever after that.
00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:44.079
And then some days it's like, um, I know I'm gonna get back, man.
00:27:44.160 --> 00:27:52.960
I see guys playing, and I see what I'm doing against quote-unquote players that they think that's you know gonna be good or potential, things like that.
00:27:53.039 --> 00:27:54.480
And it's like, oh, I know for sure.
00:27:54.720 --> 00:28:04.240
Or you see somebody else get called up, or you see um guys playing well that you feel like you know you better, you know what I'm saying?
00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:10.079
You better than you better than or you have a similar game to them, and it's they're having success, so you're like, oh, yo, you can say so.
00:28:10.319 --> 00:28:16.880
It just it just varies, but again, when I get to thinking like that, I just go back to try to be present, you know what I'm saying?
00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:18.559
Um and go from there.
00:28:18.960 --> 00:28:24.240
It's uh as we sit here taping this interview, it is a Saturday afternoon.
00:28:24.559 --> 00:28:26.319
Saints play tomorrow.
00:28:26.720 --> 00:28:33.920
Um What's what is that like when you're on the road trying to watch how much how much are you trying to watch your you know the Saints at games?
00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:38.160
I know we've been places before, like you're trying to, yeah, you're doing the same thing I'm doing.
00:28:38.240 --> 00:28:39.279
We're trying to find a spot.
00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:40.079
Like for sure.
00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:40.960
It's tough, it's tough.
00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:46.640
Sometimes I gotta kinda take myself out of that because I have to prepare, I gotta prepare for my game, you know what I'm saying?
00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:50.960
Like tomorrow, they're gonna be playing, probably gonna be charming for me to be taking a nap.
00:28:51.279 --> 00:28:52.000
You know what I'm saying?
00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:54.160
So it varies, it varies.
00:28:54.319 --> 00:28:58.720
If I have if I have a little time, I feel like I can sneak a little bit in and I I'll for sure be trying to find it.
00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:01.680
But if I got time to be taking my nap, man.
00:29:02.319 --> 00:29:04.559
You're playing Rams tomorrow, though, so I want that one.
00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:05.200
Yeah, definitely.
00:29:05.440 --> 00:29:06.240
Yeah, definitely.
00:29:06.799 --> 00:29:07.680
Yeah, I always want to beat them up.
00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:10.960
They on the list, it's like like Falcons, Cowboys, Rams.
00:29:11.200 --> 00:29:12.240
That's the three I don't know.
00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:13.200
Vikings, too.
00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:15.759
Oh yeah, that's bad memories, too.
00:29:16.319 --> 00:29:20.960
Oh the last one, you I mean, you're you're New Orleans through and through.
00:29:21.039 --> 00:29:21.440
Yeah, for sure.
00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:27.839
You, you know, air it, go to UL, do everything for the city, stuff with EP Elite, like every everything you've done.
00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:34.799
What does it mean for you to have another chance to play with New Orleans across the front of your chest?
00:29:34.960 --> 00:29:36.240
Uh, I mean a lot, man.
00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:37.519
Uh it means a lot.
00:29:37.680 --> 00:29:41.039
I think it's just funny how how that keep how it turned out like that.
00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:45.359
Even going back to when I got drafted, my first game in the league was in New Orleans.
00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:47.519
Um Yeah, that's right.
00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:51.359
Yeah, so I think I don't know, it's it's just crazy how it, you know, it keeps going back.
00:29:51.519 --> 00:29:52.640
It means a lot to me, though.
00:29:52.720 --> 00:29:55.200
Uh I'm very proud of where I came from.
00:29:55.359 --> 00:29:57.680
I feel like it shaped me to you know who I am today.
00:29:57.759 --> 00:30:00.640
So anytime I could pay it back, pay it forward, you know.
00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:03.119
I love that.
00:30:03.359 --> 00:30:11.680
It it feels destined that you were like for a guy with a flirt-bee logo on his arm, it feels like you were destined to play for this rank.
00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:12.480
Yeah, it's crazy.
00:30:12.559 --> 00:30:12.799
It's crazy.
00:30:13.039 --> 00:30:16.000
The first one didn't go the way it was planned, so maybe maybe come back for a second time, right?
00:30:16.160 --> 00:30:18.559
It was, yeah, it goes it's going good so far.
00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:19.759
So keep it going.
00:30:19.920 --> 00:30:20.160
All right.
00:30:20.240 --> 00:30:20.880
Thanks, EP.
00:30:21.039 --> 00:30:21.839
Yeah, thank you, guys.
00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:25.759
All right, thanks to Andrew Lopez and Alfred Payton for giving us a little bit of that time.
00:30:26.079 --> 00:30:31.119
And a cool chat there, and it was also nice to hear, Jim, um, from Alfred.
00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:34.079
Look, I he has a Florida Lee tattoo already on him.
00:30:34.720 --> 00:30:36.240
He's bound to be tattooed.
00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:39.039
Florida B tattoo, which I have that somewhere in here.
00:30:39.119 --> 00:30:40.079
I have one of those Florida B.
00:30:40.240 --> 00:30:41.599
There it is, the Florida B flag.
00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:44.000
Um it is it's a great story.
00:30:44.880 --> 00:30:53.759
I mean, when you think of 900 days without playing, and you come on and he had that, you know, 21 assist game, it's it's incredible.
00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:54.319
It really is.
00:30:54.640 --> 00:31:00.720
It is, and by the way, too, I was joking with Andrew when he was preparing for this podcast interview, which by the way, it was great.
00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:06.160
It was one of the best I think player interviews that we've had on the show in all the years that we've done it.
00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:14.240
Um, but I was joking with Andrew that I think uh he he I was wondering if he could ask Alfred, is he since he has the fleur to be, is he gonna get the bird de lee on the other one?
00:31:14.319 --> 00:31:15.920
You know, the bird de lee, yes.
00:31:16.160 --> 00:31:16.720
Bird de lee.
00:31:16.880 --> 00:31:20.480
So but yeah, that was a that was it was great listening to Alfred.
00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:21.920
I mean, the guy has so much knowledge.
00:31:22.079 --> 00:31:27.039
I remember I talked to him a lot the first time he was here in the 18-19 season.
00:31:27.200 --> 00:31:30.799
I mean, Alfred was a starter and a main guy on that team.
00:31:31.039 --> 00:31:43.839
So, but I I love talking about basketball with him, and obviously he was both of us were six or seven years younger at the time, but he was also, even at that stage of his career, super knowledgeable about the NBA and basketball in general.
00:31:43.920 --> 00:31:50.000
And you could hear that with him talking to Andrew of all of the different elements of the game that he understands.
00:31:50.240 --> 00:32:00.079
Also thought the part about the past first point guard was interesting as well for him to break down, you know, here's some of the reasons why there aren't as many guys that are distributors.
00:32:00.160 --> 00:32:11.599
And it is interesting to think about guys like Tyus Jones, who basically signed like a minimum deal, even though he has he's the all-time NBA um leader in assist to turnover ratio.
00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:26.319
I mean, I think we would kill for a seven to one assist-to-turnover ratio right now, but yet he's they're not paying guys like that, but they're paying uh paying other guys that don't have as much of an effect on winning for a team but score more, they're paying those guys a lot more money.
00:32:26.400 --> 00:32:28.319
So I thought that was a good point by Elfred.
00:32:28.480 --> 00:32:29.440
Yeah, no doubt about it.
00:32:29.519 --> 00:32:35.119
That's what we love trying to give uh interviews like that out here so people can enjoy and listen.
00:32:36.960 --> 00:32:39.039
Well, it's a Monday.
00:32:39.200 --> 00:32:42.720
Thankfully, Jim is always our Friday.
00:32:44.160 --> 00:32:45.279
It's time for Mr.
00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:50.000
Eichenhofer to give his players of the week and a player to watch for this week.
00:32:50.160 --> 00:32:51.920
What you got, big guy.
00:32:52.799 --> 00:32:53.839
Thank you, Mallory.
00:32:54.000 --> 00:33:00.160
Well, I mean, the Pelicans didn't win any of their games last week, but I thought if there was a bright spot, it was Eve Meesey.
00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:03.119
I mean, he had one of the best weeks of his career so far.
00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:07.680
Um he's he's basically a month and a half into his rookie season.
00:33:07.839 --> 00:33:15.200
Over the four games, he averaged 13.5 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, shot 58% from the field.
00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:18.400
And I thought, too, he did it against some very good competition.
00:33:18.559 --> 00:33:24.960
It wasn't like he was playing against, you know, backups or guys that are kind of lower end centers and big guys.
00:33:25.119 --> 00:33:32.160
The Pelicans played against um Miles Turner, Jakob Purdle, Jaron Jackson Jr., Carl Anthony Towns.
00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:37.920
So I mean, it was uh it was a really quality performance from the rookie from Baylor.
00:33:38.000 --> 00:33:41.119
And I I think we just love the fact that we keep seeing new things from him.
00:33:41.200 --> 00:33:47.359
We keeps we saw there was a baseline kind of reverse layup with incredible footwork against Memphis.
00:33:47.519 --> 00:33:49.359
Just things that are eye-opening.
00:33:49.599 --> 00:33:54.880
Um the player to watch for week seven, I'm gonna go with DeJounte Murray.
00:33:54.960 --> 00:34:02.720
I mean, partly because obviously the Pelicans are playing Atlanta tonight, and this is his first opportunity to go against the Hawks since the trade.
00:34:03.039 --> 00:34:11.519
He did not play in the November 3rd game that Atlanta won 126 to 111 because he he had broken his hand a few games before that.
00:34:12.000 --> 00:34:26.400
But um not only tonight DeJounte Murray against Trey Young of the Hawks, but the rest of the week, Phoenix has Devin Booker, Oklahoma City has Shea Gildis Alexander, and then on Sunday, Chris Paul for San Antonio.
00:34:26.559 --> 00:34:34.000
So a bunch of again interesting guard matchups and players that the Pelicans are gonna have to contend with.
00:34:34.480 --> 00:34:40.960
Um but uh I'm I'm interested to see how DeJounte plays because he's definitely still trying to get into a rhythm.
00:34:41.199 --> 00:34:51.519
I mentioned his shooting earlier in the show is way down, but I think some of that just if over the course of his career, he always ends up kind of in the mid-30s, three-point percentage-wise.
00:34:51.679 --> 00:34:53.119
He's at twenty-four right now.
00:34:53.199 --> 00:35:01.440
So I think there's just a lot of things that we're still um waiting to see from him as he kind of gets back to the player that he's been throughout his career.
00:35:01.679 --> 00:35:02.320
Yeah.
00:35:02.559 --> 00:35:04.800
Um see what takes place here, Jim.
00:35:04.880 --> 00:35:06.239
We got a couple of games this week.
00:35:06.320 --> 00:35:13.039
Obviously, tonight's the team taking on the Atlanta Hawks, another team that with Trey Young's been having a nice season there.
00:35:13.199 --> 00:35:15.440
And then, man, it's it's kind of a busy week.
00:35:15.519 --> 00:35:16.800
Tuesday, Wednesday, no game.
00:35:16.960 --> 00:35:23.519
Thursday, you got a game, back to back, Saturday, Sunday, and that's gonna be a home and road game, I guess, to set up the week for us.
00:35:24.079 --> 00:35:28.320
Yeah, I mean, once again, I mean, the Hawks are 10 and 11.
00:35:28.400 --> 00:35:31.840
They actually have the worst record of the four teams that the Pelicans are playing against.
00:35:32.079 --> 00:35:35.519
So this is not a by no means is this a break in the schedule.
00:35:35.599 --> 00:35:39.280
This is another stretch where they're playing against teams that are really good.
00:35:39.440 --> 00:35:41.519
Oklahoma City's at the top of the west.
00:35:41.840 --> 00:35:44.639
Phoenix has been better since Kevin Durant came back.
00:35:44.880 --> 00:35:48.719
The Spurs, I think, are impressive by being over 500.
00:35:48.800 --> 00:35:50.079
So it's gonna be difficult.
00:35:50.239 --> 00:35:54.880
And by the way, you know, this is this is week seven that we're in right now in the NBA schedule.
00:35:55.119 --> 00:35:58.559
Week eight, we still don't know when the games are for the Pelicans.
00:35:58.639 --> 00:36:01.039
They're gonna be there's gonna be two games added to their schedule.
00:36:01.280 --> 00:36:10.800
And I think by the time that we record on Wednesday, the next show, we'll we will probably know those, so we'll be able to kind of go through which are the two games that have been added.
00:36:10.960 --> 00:36:19.039
Um by the end of Tuesday night, the NBA will know which eight teams have made it to the cup quarterfinals and which 22 teams are not.
00:36:19.199 --> 00:36:28.400
They're gonna take the 22 teams, with obviously the Pelicans being one of those 22, and they're gonna match them up um over two games apiece for all 22 of those squads.
00:36:28.559 --> 00:36:28.719
Right.
00:36:28.960 --> 00:36:30.159
So we'll be able to go from there.
00:36:30.320 --> 00:36:33.920
And by the way, just kind of a quick NBA Cup update, focusing on the West.
00:36:34.320 --> 00:36:36.559
Tuesday night's the end of the group stage.
00:36:36.719 --> 00:36:40.639
The two teams from the West that have gotten in already are Houston and Golden State.
00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:53.360
And we're not gonna we don't have time, and we don't need to get into the all the different permutations and complications and scenarios, but my predictions, and we'll see for the other two West teams, we'll see how right I was on Wednesday.
00:36:53.519 --> 00:36:57.280
Um, I crunched the numbers, went through a different different stuff.
00:36:57.440 --> 00:36:59.360
Oklahoma City and Dallas are my picks.
00:36:59.519 --> 00:37:04.159
Those are the going to be the two teams that join Houston and Golden State as the four West teams.
00:37:04.239 --> 00:37:07.280
So hold hold me to that on Wednesday, and we can talk about that a little bit more.
00:37:07.760 --> 00:37:10.320
We'll talk more about this as we go on, especially once we get into the gap.
00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:14.559
Those four teams are now playing some pretty good basketball, pretty tough teams here as well.
00:37:14.639 --> 00:37:16.800
Look, Houston won again yesterday.
00:37:17.039 --> 00:37:19.920
We were talking about that with uh the conductor in our post-game show.
00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:25.039
That that team, I I think I'm not saying, you know, I the whole phrase there for real.
00:37:25.119 --> 00:37:28.639
Like you're you're not where you are right now at this point of the season if you're not a good basketball team.
00:37:28.719 --> 00:37:28.880
Right.
00:37:29.039 --> 00:37:32.480
So good enough to say that Houston is right now a good basketball team?
00:37:32.800 --> 00:37:38.320
I mean, for them to be on the verge of taking over first place in the West, they're only half game behind Oklahoma City.
00:37:38.400 --> 00:37:38.480
Right.
00:37:38.639 --> 00:37:39.920
I mean, that says enough right there.
00:37:40.079 --> 00:37:40.320
Right.
00:37:40.400 --> 00:37:47.280
I mean, even if it was even if it was 10 games into the season, if you're right there for the number one spot in the conference, I'm impressed by that.
00:37:47.440 --> 00:37:54.000
So yeah, I mean, we're we're basically a quarter of the way through the season, and Oklahoma City's 15 and five, Houston's 15 and six.
00:37:54.079 --> 00:37:55.119
So they're right there.
00:37:55.199 --> 00:37:58.880
I mean, they could be they could be in first place in the West sometime this week.
00:37:59.039 --> 00:38:14.719
So that is a really big statement based on they went 41 to 41 last year, and I I thought people thought they were gonna make a jump, but man, to no, I don't think even the most optimistic over-the-top Rockets fan was like, yeah, we'll we'll be in content for the one seed.
00:38:14.880 --> 00:38:15.199
No doubt.
00:38:15.360 --> 00:38:25.440
As we close up, three teams currently, we got a lot of season to go, but right now, as we start the month of December, Jim, three teams that were not in the playoffs last year, in the playoffs right now, right?
00:38:25.599 --> 00:38:29.280
I mean, the Spurs are in the 10th spot, Memphis and Houston.
00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:32.800
I understand no job, but still, they were not in the playoffs last year.
00:38:33.039 --> 00:38:41.760
Three teams that were in the playoffs last year, currently out of the 10th spot looking in, as we start the month of December, Minnesota, Sacramento, and New Orleans.
00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:43.920
So you never know how the seasons can go.
00:38:44.000 --> 00:38:46.000
I know there's injuries, I know it's different reasons.
00:38:46.079 --> 00:38:55.360
I'm just saying as we start the month of December, we'll see where we are in January, but there's three teams, you know, that we're not in that are in right now.
00:38:55.440 --> 00:38:59.280
And I know we have a lot of basketball to play, but that's just kind of how the season is as we start.
00:38:59.519 --> 00:39:09.280
Yeah, and I mean I I'm not really that's uh I'm surprised maybe by which teams it is, but I'm not surprised that there's been some jumbling of the competition just because the West is so good.
00:39:09.519 --> 00:39:20.800
I mean, you can't drop the Pelicans, have obviously dropped off a lot, but you can't drop off drop off even a little bit and not expect to to fall aways in the standings, which I think is definitely what's happening so far with Minnesota and Sacramento.
00:39:20.880 --> 00:39:21.199
No doubt.
00:39:21.280 --> 00:39:22.320
That is Jim Iconoffer.
00:39:22.400 --> 00:39:23.119
Give a follow.
00:39:23.360 --> 00:39:28.480
You get all of his preview stuff and post-game stuff for the game against the Hawks tonight on Pelicans.com.
00:39:28.559 --> 00:39:31.760
And again on Wednesday, you'll hear us here on the Pelicans Podcast.
00:39:31.920 --> 00:39:32.880
Thank you so much, Jim, as always.
00:39:33.039 --> 00:39:33.519
Thanks, Gus.
00:39:33.599 --> 00:39:36.480
All right, we'll see you next time on the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast.
00:39:36.960 --> 00:39:40.800
Thanks for listening to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast.
00:39:41.039 --> 00:39:50.880
Join us three times per week on Pelicans.com, the Pelicans Mobile app, the iHeartRadio app, or where you get your podcast.
00:39:51.039 --> 00:39:59.599
And be sure to give Jim and Gus a follow on X at Jim underscore Icanoffer and Gcap underscore 17.
00:40:00.079 --> 00:40:06.159
We'll see you next time, right here on the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast.
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