New Orleans starting to look dangerous?

[Inferno]

Holiday
Gordon
Evans
Davis
Asik

Ryan Anderson and Austin Rivers off the bench

Not bad? :confusedshrug:

[JohnFreeman]

Hopefully they actually start Reke this season

[mjokc]

They would be fighting for 3rd seed in the East but will probably miss the playoffs in the West.

[Real14]

they will be number 8 or last years suns:applause:

[All Net]

they are but with Suns and Mavs having max cap room I don't see them making it based on their injury issues.

[SupermanOnSteroids]

its ridiculous how stacked the west is. and to think Lebron and Melo might end up in the west. watch out.

[Lebronxrings]

it comes down to how good davis is and if hes the "KG" everyone refers to him as.

[Dr. Cheesesteak]

I didn't see a single NO game last season. Was Tyreke still pulling up for side-fade-away J's for no reason? If not, then I'd love this NO team w/ Asik to make some noise.

Yeah, West is stacked, but NO had injuries last season and no Asik. If that lineup is healthy and kicking full potential, they can vie for something as high as #5 seed, imo...but could also still miss the playoffs.

[alanLA92]

If healthy, I can see them making it as a low seed. Congrats on the NO FO rebuilding. :applause:

[Milbuck]

That team is stacked..barring injuries, they could push 45-50 wins.

NO won 34 games this past season with 4 of their 5 best players missing anywhere from 15-60 games. Ryan Anderson missed 60+ games, Jrue like 50, Gordon around 20, Davis and Tyreke both around 15 games. With a fully healthy roster and another year of experience and improvement for all the young guys (who happen to be the best players on the team), they could make some serious noise in the west. 45-50 wins sounds like it's asking for a lot but it's only 11 more wins than they had this year. Considering that Davis is about to hit the season of his career where most young prospects break out, he could be a top 5 player next season. Holiday, Gordon, Tyreke are also set to have a great upcoming season - Jrue's going to be healthy, Gordon hopefully as well, and Tyreke seemed to finally put it together towards the end of the season when he put up 20/6/7/1 on 57% TS in the last month and a half of the season. Now they're adding one of the best defensive centers in the game in Asik and getting back one of the best stretch 4s in the game in Ryan Anderson as well? They're in for a big season.

In 2012-13 the Blazers won 33 games, which is less than the Pelicans won this year. They also ended the season on a 13 game losing streak. And yet, this year they got 54 wins, tying the 2x defending champs' record, and made it to the 2nd round in one of the toughest conferences of all time. If the Blazers did it last year, I wouldn't put it past the Pelicans, especially considering that they'll have 3 of their best players back from injuries, and they're adding a really good player in Asik.

Anything could happen next season between other playoff contenders near the 6-10 area in the west. Dirk's game could fall off a cliff next season like KG's did this past season and the Mavs could suffer. Zbo declining or another Gasol injury and the Grizzlies could struggle next season as well. Phoenix could have a poor offseason, and barely miss the playoffs once again. You just never know.

I think NOLA gets the 8th seed next year.

[All Net]

That team is stacked..barring injuries, they could push 45-50 wins.

NO won 34 games this past season with 4 of their 5 best players missing anywhere from 15-60 games. Ryan Anderson missed 60+ games, Jrue like 50, Gordon around 20, Davis and Tyreke both around 15 games. With a fully healthy roster and another year of experience and improvement for all the young guys (who happen to be the best players on the team), they could make some serious noise in the west. 45-50 wins sounds like it's asking for a lot but it's only 11 more wins than they had this year. Considering that Davis is about to hit the season of his career where most young prospects break out, he could be a top 5 player next season. Holiday, Gordon, Tyreke are also set to have a great upcoming season - Jrue's going to be healthy, Gordon hopefully as well, and Tyreke seemed to finally put it together towards the end of the season when he put up 20/6/7/1 on 57% TS in the last month and a half of the season. Now they're adding one of the best defensive centers in the game in Asik and getting back one of the best stretch 4s in the game in Ryan Anderson as well? They're in for a big season.

In 2012-13 the Blazers won 33 games, which is less than the Pelicans won this year. They also ended the season on a 13 game losing streak. And yet, this year they got 54 wins, tying the 2x defending champs' record, and made it to the 2nd round in one of the toughest conferences of all time. If the Blazers did it last year, I wouldn't put it past the Pelicans, especially considering that they'll have 3 of their best players back from injuries, and they're adding a really good player in Asik.

Anything could happen next season between other playoff contenders near the 6-10 area in the west. Dirk's game could fall off a cliff next season like KG's did this past season and the Mavs could suffer. Zbo declining or another Gasol injury and the Grizzlies could struggle next season as well. Phoenix could have a poor offseason, and barely miss the playoffs once again. You just never know.



I think NOLA gets the 8th seed next year.

All depends on Davis and the health of the rest

They had so many injures last year.

[Fiddlesticks]

I would probably start Anderson over Evans because if not, the starting line up could have spacing issues.

[ShackEelOKneel]

I don't trust that team to remain healthy enough to make the playoffs.

[BlazerRed]

I don't trust that team to remain healthy enough to make the playoffs.
This.

[Milbuck]

All depends on Davis and the health of the rest

They had so many injures last year.
Davis has apparently grown an inch and put on about 15 pounds of muscle, he's at around 6'11" 240. He should be much stronger...he should be the one bullying people in the post now. I think he'll be fine. I don't expect Eric Gordon to be healthy, he's always been hurt one way or another. But the problems with Jrue and Ryan Anderson weren't normal for those guys. Even if Gordon is hurt, the core of Holiday-Tyreke-Davis-Asik should be healthy.

[All Net]

Davis has apparently grown an inch and put on about 15 pounds of muscle, he's at around 6'11" 240. He should be much stronger...he should be the one bullying people in the post now. I think he'll be fine. I don't expect Eric Gordon to be healthy, he's always been hurt one way or another. But the problems with Jrue and Ryan Anderson weren't normal for those guys. Even if Gordon is hurt, the core of Holiday-Tyreke-Davis-Asik should be healthy.
Who you think they should be target in free agency?

[Milbuck]

Who you think they should be target in free agency?
I'm not fully aware of their cap situation, but I don't think they have much flexibility after this. I've actually wondered how they were able to pull in Asik in the first place. I think this is the only significant pickup they make in the offseason, anything else would probably be 8-12 spot guys that won't see the floor much.

[SwishSquared]

I'm not fully aware of their cap situation, but I don't think they have much flexibility after this. I've actually wondered how they were able to pull in Asik in the first place. I think this is the only significant pickup they make in the offseason, anything else would probably be 8-12 spot guys that won't see the floor much.
I think including all cap holds, they are still set to have ~$6M or so in cap space (maybe a couple hundred thousand dollars less). If they decline some options and don't extend QOs/renoucne rights, they bump that number up a couple million, I believe.

[All Net]

I'm not fully aware of their cap situation, but I don't think they have much flexibility after this. I've actually wondered how they were able to pull in Asik in the first place. I think this is the only significant pickup they make in the offseason, anything else would probably be 8-12 spot guys that won't see the floor much.
I think they can only do this trade by moving somebody according to their beat writer.

[stalkerforlife]

Injury prone, but looks good on paper.

Health is the key.

[hawksdogsbraves]

I didn't see a single NO game last season. Was Tyreke still pulling up for side-fade-away J's for no reason? If not, then I'd love this NO team w/ Asik to make some noise.

Yeah, West is stacked, but NO had injuries last season and no Asik. If that lineup is healthy and kicking full potential, they can vie for something as high as #5 seed, imo...but could also still miss the playoffs.

Evans actually played really well. The injuries to Gordon and Holliday helped him, he was really the only guard/wing who could score so he got to have the ball in his hands a lot. As a 3rd-4th option I don't know that he will be able to duplicate that success. Definitely needs to be brought off the bench.

[dzav323]

Evans actually played really well. The injuries to Gordon and Holliday helped him, he was really the only guard/wing who could score so he got to have the ball in his hands a lot. As a 3rd-4th option I don't know that he will be able to duplicate that success. Definitely needs to be brought off the bench.
False. Move Gordon to the bench (OR TO ANOTHER TEAM)

[Lord Bean]

They'll still suck.

[Cocaine80s]

shoulda thrown in eric gordon for daniels and jones

[bdreason]

They're still an 8th seed at best out West.