May 15, 2023 • 36 mins
On today’s Pelicans Podcast presented by Seatgeek, Joe Cardosi and Jim Eichenhofer are joined by radio play by play analyst Todd Graffagnini and team reporter Erin Summers as they break down the NBA lottery odds ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. Central.
They discuss the Pelicans’ chances at hitting the #1 pick or landing within the top 4, what it would mean for the franchise, and who they would & wouldn’t like to see land the coveted #1 spot.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Welcome into the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast presented by Seat Gig,
a podcast dedicated to everything you need to know about
the squad. The New Orleans Pelicans podcast starts right now.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Welcome to the Pelicans Podcast presented by Seat Geek. I
am Joe Cardosi, once again joined by the Adroit Jim Ikenhoffer.
So glad to have him once again across from me.
We got some fun stuff to talk about. I know
we're gonna be talking about a lot of fantastical maybe situations,
(00:42):
maybe maybe things that might not happen, But this is
the time to do it, my friend. It's dream and time.
The NBA Lottery is upon us. You said it.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
I think we're gonna be going through some dream scenarios.
But who doesn't like to dream? And I think that's
a fun part of life. By the way, it is
great to be back. We had a little bit of
a break here before, which was nice. Team Yeah, it
was nice, and I feel energized. I feel refreshed, I
feel optimistic. I feel some might say adroit, whoa yes, yes,
and you did say that, so but yeah, we're gonna
(01:13):
have some fun with our guests. But I guess we
wanted to kind of set up the draft lottery with
a preview podcast today. I know a lot of people
are going to be tuning in on Tuesday to find
out where the Pelicans finish. Hopefully it won't be a
five second appearance for the Pelicans, as people know when
they when they open up the envelopes, they do it
in reverse order. Hopefully the Pelicans are not fourteenth. If
(01:35):
the if the first envelope is opened and it's not
the Pelicans, there's going to be some big excitement coming
into the picture.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Like even if yes, if it's not fourteen. Here's what
we should say is you know a lot of people
who may not be familiar with the lottery process. This
is this is what Gym's here. He's the info man.
People may be thinking, well, if we don't get fourteen,
we could maybe get ten or eleven. No, you either
get fourteen or you get one through four. That's basically it.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Right.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Basically, to make a long story short, the only thing
that's really determined at the lottery is the top four spots.
That's the only thing that you can win. Yes, so
basically they they pull up the teams. I don't want
to get into too many specifics. I mean, there are
peop there're still a.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Lot of football fans in the city, I think who
are still like figuring out how the NBA lottery works.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
It is a little.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Complicated, but for the Pelicans specifically, they can either finish first, second, third,
or fourth or fourteenth. They have the best record of
any team that did not make the playoffs this year.
That's why they're in what I like to call the
pre lottery slot of fourteen. You don't want to say
fourteenth too much because you know, then people get confused
with where they're going to finish in the lottery itself.
(02:40):
So basically that's where what we're looking at. They have
a zero five point five percent chance of the number
one pick, zero point six percent at number two and three,
zero point seven at number four, and then the chances
of them finishing fourteenth in the lottery are ninety seven
point six percent, So you subtract that from one hundred
(03:02):
and they have a two point four percent chance of
finishing in the top four. If you think zero point
five to win it is a little bit too daunting
and a little bit too much for your blood. You
can look more at the two point four percent as
a little bit more realistic of you know, they could
finish in the top four if with that percentage.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And it's a matter of perspective, man, I was looking
at that zero point five percent. That seems absolutely minuscule,
But it's also only one in two hundred, which doesn't seem.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
That that bad.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
You know.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
So like if someone tells me, hey, if you run
blindfolded across this road, you only have a zero point
five percent chance of getting hit, I'm like, yeah, give
me the blindfold. That seems fine. But if someone says
it's about a one in two hundred chance that you
might get hit by a car, I don't know, man,
that's a heck of a dare. That's an interesting way
of looking at it.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
I think the biggest odds that any team has ever
overcome to win the lottery was one in sixty six.
Orlando had that way back in the day, in the
during the shack era, back in the nineties. So one
in two hundred obviously is a little bit longer odds
than that, but it has been done before that a
team with you know what people thought had very little
(04:12):
chance to win actually did win.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
The lot I've got my toes all crossed in my shoes.
It feels horrible, but I'm doing everything for good luck
right now. And uh, you know it's it's it's a
thing that we got to talk about. It is a possibility.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
The Pelicans in twenty nineteen, they only had a six
percent chance of the number one pick. Look at that
they got that pick and got Zion Williamson. Uh, it
seems like we're due to beat the odds again, my friend,
because they haven't been with us the last few years.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
I really like the way that you're looking at things today.
I really like your optimism.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
And your black Eventually it's gonna hit man. Yeah, I
like that.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I like that the idea that you know, they haven't
really been successful or lucky the last few years when
they've participated in the lottery. So yeah, this is the time.
I mean, why not do it in twenty twenty three?
Speaker 2 (04:56):
So and what better story than a team that clawed
and fought the way to try it again into the playoffs,
didn't quite make it, but then somehow get rewarded for
their hard work instead of these taking teams that are
just you saw what they were doing again, Just in
my heart, it'd be great. It's part of the reason
why in twenty nineteen that Zion lottery was so fun
(05:17):
for me. The people didn't think they were in the
mix for that number one pick all of a sudden,
that the Pelicans had a scrappy, hard fought season, that
they had a lot of bad luck and good a
good totem.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Then yeah, no, that's a good point, and I'm sure
people remember the twenty eighteen nineteen season was not a
lot of fun. But in the last couple months of
that season, you had guys like Kenrich Williams who were
out there playing as hard as they could. That team
was that was not a terrible team. It wasn't a
team that won fifteen or twenty games and was just dreadful.
And they continued to compete in the last couple months
(05:50):
of the season despite what were some of the worst
circumstances possible, where you have your best player who already
has one foot out the door. So I think you
could make the case, you know, they had some good
karma that they were due based on the way they
finished out that season and continued to compete, at least
in terms of the guys that wanted to be.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
The guys that were on the floor were still trying, right,
they were still fun to root for. At that point
there was just the one guy you were done rooting for.
But again, this is I think, a good Karma season.
And again we know it is very unlikely that we
hop into the top four, but we got to talk
about it because it is a chance, and man, it's fun,
(06:29):
it really is.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
And you know, we're gonna be getting into some fun
with our guests here in the next segment. But I
wanted to kind of briefly set up what we're gonna
be talking about, just so people have an understanding of
the kind of the bigger picture. There's three teams, really,
the top three teams, and I would consider this to
be the top tier of the lottery, which is Detroit, Houston,
San Antonio all have exactly fourteen percent chance of winning
(06:51):
the lottery. The second tier, in my mind, is Charlotte, Portland,
Orlando that has between twelve point five and nine percent
chances of winning the lottery. After that, there's a little
bit of more of a drop off to the point
where it gets to be a little bit more difficult
for some of these other teams to win. However, Indiana
and Washington are in the seventh and eighth slot. They
(07:12):
have six point eight and six point percent chance, which
is actually very similar to what New Orleans had when
they won it with when they won the Zion lottery,
so I guess we shouldn't rule them out. And then
off after that you have Utah, Dallas, Chicago, Oklahoma City, Toronto,
and New Orleans rounding out the fourteen teams that will
be participating in the line.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Basically, it's like it's like a cone. The closer to
fourteen you are, the lower your odds get. So the
fact that we are at fourteen means we have the
lowest odds of getting the number one. But again we
are do and can't wait to talk about it with
Todd Grafanini and Aaron Summers, who are going to be
in studio here also glad to see them, and we're
gonna get into all the scenarios, the what ifs, however
(07:53):
unlikely they are, we're gonna cover them, and then we're
going to talk the practical stuff too. So let's get
into it with Tom Grafanini, our radio play by play voice,
and our own team reporter Aaron Summers joining us on
the Pelicans podcast, So glad to have them in studio again.
(08:16):
Mister Todd Graffanini our radio play by play voice, Aaron Summers,
our sideline reporter. We got to talk about all the scenarios.
Gemini sort of set it up. We know that it's
highly unlikely, mathematically speaking, the Vegas odds are not with
us that we're gonna end up nailing this this lottery
and ending up in the number one pick. But we
(08:36):
got to talk about it. There is an alien prospect
at number one that is a franchise changing prospect. Obviously
everyone's talking about him, and you know, none of the
players in the top four slouches either. So I mean,
what would it mean to you to jump into the
to the number one slot? What would it mean for
the Pelicans to be able to do that?
Speaker 5 (08:55):
Well, I mean, obviously with all the hype with with
Gwen Byama, I mean it would be incredible. Now would
the luck that the Pelicans had getting Anthony Davis of
course number one, and then Zion Williamson a couple of
years later. I mean, to get two number one picks
is pretty incredible.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
To get three, well, then I think.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
You know Griff would might might get that statue out
front pretty quickly if you could get three number one picks.
But I mean, obviously to get that would be almost
like being.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Struck by lightning.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Yes, the odds are like that, but you know, I mean.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Look, you never know. That's why they twirl the ping
pong balls.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Will Aaron I was talking about this with Jim. It
is very unlikely. It's zero point five percent chance. But
then when you break it down, only one in two hundred.
That's not that bad. It's just how you look at it.
Speaker 6 (09:46):
Yeah, no, no, exactly, like one in two hundred. It's like,
all right, well, okay, so you're saying there's a chance.
Great love that, and that's what you in one regard,
you have the best record of the fourteen teams that
did not make playoffs, so you're not that far off.
So it's not that we necessarily need a number one pick,
but we do have a chance of getting one.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
So that's kind of cool.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
Yeah, yeah, you know, glass half.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Full, yes, of course. And look, we were not going
to sort of get into the number one pick sort
of specifics, because again those odds are quite small, but
top four gets a little better. You got about a
two point four percent chance to hop into the top four.
Four perspective, in twenty nineteen, the Pelicans only had a
six percent chance of landing number one when they got Zion,
(10:32):
a little better odds, of course, but still possible to
land in that top four. What do you want to
see them address?
Speaker 5 (10:38):
Basically, I think, look, we've been talking about it all
year long. I just think that the outside shooting needs
to improve. Yeah, I mean, I don't think this is
any groundbreaking stuff here along the lines of what we've
seen Trey Murphy do in the last couple of years.
We knew Trey could shoot the ball coming out of Virginia,
(10:59):
and he is really you know, he started off Slow's
rookie year, but that was to be expected. But once
he started to figure out, we saw him make that
huge jump from his rookie year to what we saw
this year, which is really very closely on the verge
of fifty forty ninety. And those are the type of
players I think that this team looks to address. I
(11:21):
think we've already done that in the draft. Defensively, when
you talk about what we've seen the last couple of
years with Herb Jones and Dyson Daniels. I think now,
right at this particular juncture, it is about shooting, and
those are the you know, prospects you're gonna have to
look at.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
I think to your point too, Todd, the Pelicans were
fifteenth and three point percentage, so not that bad, not bad,
but they were twenty third in makes per game. So
really it's a matter of getting more shots up.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
And obviously, right.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
I have to you just put on this spot, get it.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
I'm gonna guess and say it was.
Speaker 6 (11:59):
I mean, we probably had twenty seven attempts.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
It was twenty ninth. Actually, yeah, instead of a sneaky hymn,
we have eighty summers.
Speaker 6 (12:06):
No.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
You know, it's interesting because Willie Green just harped on
it all year long. We got to get more shots up,
we got to get more three point shots up, three
point shots up, and you know, I seeing these words,
but for whatever reason, it just didn't work out each
and every I think we saw the attempts go up,
especially in the last month month and a half of
the season, but nowhere near what we see obviously when
(12:27):
you're playing a team like Boston or Golden State, when
they're jacking fifty up a game, it's like, my goodness, gracious.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
I mean, we could really digress here and go into
the why because of the injuries.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
C J.
Speaker 6 (12:38):
McCollum, you know, thumb, et cetera. But yes, outside shooting
would be lovely. But I think we're going to see
a very different team than what we saw all last year,
so it's kind of hard to gauge what our true
needs are going to be.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
That's a great point.
Speaker 5 (12:52):
And look, I think for the most part, and the
numbers back it up, the Pels were pretty solid defensive.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Team all year long.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Sixth efficiency.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Yeah, and look that's what Willie Green when he came
here two years ago. We want to have a top
ten defense. That's really this is this is a defensive
minded coach and staff, and they top ten defense. Top
that you play defense each and every night, you're gonna
give yourself a chance no matter what you're doing as
far as shooting the basketball. And when Zion Williamson plays,
(13:24):
obviously our offense is in a much better place. So
we'll just again have to see, first of all, let's
get healthy in the off season, everybody back on the court,
and then we'll see what happens.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
With the draft.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
Because I've seen people say point guard, you know a
true god that's going to bring the ball up, but
you have that much when you have Zion on the court.
Brandon showed that he can do that. Daniels like, there are.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
A lot Joselo yes, be a knife fight for point
guard minutes. Well, you know you want to distribute. You
want someone to just distribute the ball. Jose has been
great at that.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
I think to add to Aaron's point two, when this
team is healthy or close to healthy, there's a bunch
of guys that are going to be on the ball
a lot and kind of you can run the offense
through z Iion, you can run through Brandon Ingram.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
We've seen that over and over again.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
So even if you say you want to add a
point guard, maybe it's a point guard that can shoot
threes really well and he's not necessarily just a distributor.
Who's ever who's going to average like eight points a
game and a bunch of assists. Maybe it's a guy
that one of his big pieces of his skill set
or his strengths is that he can be a knockdown.
Speaker 5 (14:30):
Health Aaron, I think we've been working too much together
because I was literally going to say, but but that's
going to get him off the ball and it's going
to take all the pressure off from him where he
was handling the ball a lot more than he would
normally do, and that can affect his offense at times.
We've seen what he is capable of. I mean, look,
(14:52):
he set the record for threes in a game. He's
made eleven of them in a game. So if you
get him off the ball most of the he'll handle
it ever you know, every so often. But if he's
playing that true too, he can just sit there and
cook offensively.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
And to go back to what you guys said about
three point shooting in terms of the volume, in terms
of the number of attempts, to me, it's a combination
of the coaching staff emphasizing it more. Obviously they emphasized
it a ton this year. I think they made a
little bit of progress, but didn't get to where they
wanted to, as you can tell by the fact that
I said they finished twenty ninth in attempts. You want
to be a lot higher than that. But to me,
(15:31):
it's a combination of making sure that you just shoot
more threes, but also the personnel has to be you know,
adequate to the point where they're comfort comfortable. If you
can add a guy in the draft or some other
way in the offseason. It might not be through the
fourteenth pick. It might be either the fourteenth pick or
some way that you use that fourteenth pick. If you
can add another guy or two into the rotation that
(15:51):
is comfortable taking five or six threes a game, that's
how you get your volume up. I mean, you can
tell you can put together a roster of guys and
say shoot more three, shoot more three, shoot more threes.
But if they're not comfortable doing it, it's gonna be
hard to get to where you want to go.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
Well, here's the thing too, and I know you're gonna
get to last couple of points on this, but you
think about a team like Boston, who I mean, if
they're not putting up forty five threes in a game
that you know, that's that's just way below what or
way below what they normally would do. There's a difference though,
(16:25):
in between what you're gonna see in the regular season
and what you're seeing in the playoffs. And a team
like the Celtics, who you're thinking, all right, they've got
a legitimate chance to win the NBA Championship. But they
have really lived and died with the three all year long,
and it is cost them sure dearly in this postseason,
(16:46):
especially against the seventy six ers, because if you live
that way and they're not going in, you're gonna find yourself,
you know, on the outside looking in.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
It happened with the Houston Rockets for sure.
Speaker 5 (16:59):
Yeah you know a few years ago when they're jacking
sixty threes up in a game. Yeah, well, that's great
in the regular season, but that does not always translate
the postseason.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Beat and health is crucial, and I think Aaron, you've
seen it so much on the sideline. The reason a
lot of this team, that reason we were saying they
were stacked and you know they were so deep, is
there's multi level scoring. You can score in the paint
with Zion, you got Jonas, you got mid range scoring
with Brandon Ingram, You've got your three point shooting theoretically
with CJ, with Trey, You've got the pieces sort of
(17:27):
theoretically in place. It's just a bit of tinkering, bit
of health. We talked about where we want to be
in the lottery, but but what we want to talk
about here is we love to hate. Who do you
not want to see win the lottery? There's a plenty
of teams in the top tier there. You got the Pistons,
you got the Rockets, you got the Spurs. They all
share an equal fourteen percent share of getting that first pick.
(17:51):
Then you got, you know, sort of the lower odds teams.
You got Charlotte, you got Portland, you got Orlando. Not
a lot of teams that are easy to hate there.
But you know, I'm gonna start off with you because
I want to put you on the spot there since
you sort of made Jim google those numbers there. Who
do you not want to see?
Speaker 6 (18:06):
Wow? All right, all right, okay, so and this is
just because I don't like someone to have an embarrassment
of riches and the city of Chicago. Right now, they
had the number one pick in the NFL draft, although
they did trade that away, but they got some great
assets for it.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Draft.
Speaker 6 (18:21):
They just got the number one pick in the NHL draft.
We don't need a number one pick in the NBA.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Draft either, Like, yeah, that is creative.
Speaker 6 (18:31):
So that's one Orlando.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
They just got it last year with po Like, let's
not give it to them again.
Speaker 6 (18:38):
Yeah, they got back to back number one picks not
so long ago in nineteen ninety three when they had
Shack number one, and then the next year they hit
on one point five to two percent odds and got
Chris Weber.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
See, see, it's time for us to break the it's
time for us to beat the odds. And Aaron's bringing
my point back up. I think we're due. I think
we're due. Basically all right, I'm not going to go
in depth.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Is as Aaron just did.
Speaker 6 (19:03):
Who I know, you guys are just going her emotions.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
That's why we need That's why we need a woman
need to think it out, and we're just.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
We absolutely cannot have the San Antonio Spurs or the
Houston Rockets. Uh more san Antonio than Houston because the
times that San Antonio's got the number one pick, they
basically turned into a dynasty. No san Antonio, and I
mean this is a very very low chance, very low,
(19:38):
kind of like Pelicans ask low. But if Oklahoma City
gets it, yeah, we can't have that either. So no,
basically the Western Conference, no, no Western Conference teams.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
But starting with San Antonio.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
I'm gonna delve into the hostility that I have from
years of the Spurs doing really well against the Pelicans,
and I think some of the frustrations in New Orleans
with the basketball team that have been created by the
Spurs over the years were very evident when you look
at like the Pelicans swept them for the first time
(20:13):
ever this year, and there was a bunch of funny
stats when the Pelicans destroyed them in San Antonio last
season that were like amazing. The record in the games
in San Antonio was something like five and thirty and
I've been here for a lot of that and I
didn't even realize it was as bad as it was.
So I agree, Graf, we don't want the Spurs.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
They've had weight.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
I try to look at things a little bit in
kind of fairness, in the context of history. They've been
good for so long that to me, they deserve another
They deserve another few years of being near the bottom
of the league the way they have been before. I
would be like, Okay, now I can see them getting
some good luck. So they're number one on my list.
I also have the Mavericks on my list of a
team that I don't want to win the lottery, because
(20:57):
I mean, I think some of its obvious reasons. They
are another team that's been really successful. I mean I
had to go with teams in the West right off
the bat because yeah, and here's another thing too, I
want to throw out. If the Pelicans win the lottery
and the Mavericks don't move up, the Mavericks would bump
down to eleven. They have a top ten protected pick,
(21:19):
So the Pelicans winning the lottery most likely would mean
the Mavericks lose their first round pick as well. So
there was some shenanigans at the end of the regular season.
That's another reason why I don't want to see the
Mavericks win the lottery because based on what they did
at the end of the regular season, they don't deserve
to get the number one people. Yeah, yeah, and I
would you could sit here and say, like Jim, you're
(21:41):
making unfounded accusations. No, they got They got fined by
the league for doing it. So the Spurs. The Spurs
and the Mavericks are my top two teams I don't
want to see.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yeah, you know, I was looking at it, and and
and Aaron had a good outside the box sort of
opener there with Chicago and and Graft brought up a
good point with two with Oklahoma City. But but yeah,
you sat beat me to it. Man, it's when I
look at it and all the teams that have the
odds as it gets lower and lower. It is low
odds with Dallas. But man, I would hate to see
Dallas get it just having Luca, having Kyrie and then
(22:11):
having you know, a number one or top four pick.
It would just make me sick.
Speaker 5 (22:15):
While you were talking about San Antonio and how good
they were, I mean, you think about it just a
couple of years ago when they were still the pop Roaches.
They had Dejonte Murray, Derek White, and Lonnie Walker the
fourth They were all on that team.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
And now look what those guys are doing and all the.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Play impact in the playoffs. Yeah, and and so look,
it's it's easy to hate on them. I think we
all sort of agree, like Naca Birdle too.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
See again, graph is going to be up all night
thinking of the reasons and seasons that he didn't like
the Spurs. But you know, I don't want to end
the time on a negative noe. We've talked about who
we don't want to win, and I think we all
agree most people, But who wouldn't you mind? You know,
there's a few teams. There's some there's some scrappy teams
that have sort of you know, they've been eating some
(23:00):
dirt for a while there. They deserve some do who
would you would you not mind seeing get with me
Charlotte Hornets?
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (23:06):
I think they they need some good things to happen
to themselves. It's a great, great town, great arena. They've
got really ascot now the fans are awesome too. Yeah,
that's true.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
They do have a great mascot.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
We met him up close and personal for many many years.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
Uh No, and again they posed no basically no threat
to the New Orleans Pelicans franchise. Right, So I'm gonna
go with the Charlotte Hornets.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Yeah that's a pretty harmless choice.
Speaker 6 (23:32):
Yeah. I mean so if you if you look at
the people with the best odds, the fourteen percenters, you know,
Detroit has been there the past few years.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Well they just got them to two years ago.
Speaker 6 (23:41):
They want it so but they still suck. Yes, Yeah,
I mean I kind of feel like maybe they could
use a.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
Little bit of the choice.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Been through it too, man, you know, yeah, like the top.
Speaker 6 (23:52):
Because it's San Antonio Houston and Detroit that I'll have
fourteen percent odds, so process of elimination of who we
hate less.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Yeah, basically, yeah, and I've got some I've got some
Pistons fans, friends who call them the Stones, the Pistones,
you know, so that that would be fine with me. Jim,
you got any anyone with it? You hoping to have
a horse shoot in their pocket.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
I don't know what this says about Graft or what
it says about me, but once again I have the
exact same answer as he does on this question. I
had the Hornets as the team that I want to
win the lottery if the Pelicans don't. I mean part
of this is I think it would be so fun
to see them add the number one pick to LaMelo Ball,
great point guard who's you know, a past first guy
(24:34):
but also can score a little bit. I just think
that would be so much fun to watch. And the
other reason I had on my list of notes was
they actually now with Sacramento making the playoffs, Charlotte has
the longest playoff drought in the league of seven years.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
They've missed it seven years.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
In a row.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
They've been in the play in though.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Yeah, that's true, that's true.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Last year.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
True, they got bit by the well again, who didn't. Yeah,
they've been a bit injury. They've been in the play
in twice.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
They this was the first time they they didn't get
it in this new format, but the second longest playoff drought.
No one has more than four years in a row
missing the playoffs in the entire league, including Detroit. I
think they made it in twenty twenty eighteen or twenty nineteen.
So I went with them, and I had two other
kind of honorable mentions. Not to disagree with what Aaron
(25:18):
said earlier, but I had the magic And part of
that is because I think they have such an intriguing
group of young players, they have such a good core.
I think to add the number one pick to that
would be really interesting and really fun. I agree that.
I mean, historically you could make the case that maybe
they've they've already used up their luck from back in
the day. And then the third team I had was
(25:39):
the Pacers, just from the standpoint that I just like
that franchise. I think, you know, they're obviously a small
market team like New Orleans. I just there's just something
about them that I've always been supportive of them. I
feel like we've had really good interactions with their PR department,
Like it's.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
Just a yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
I know that's a little behind the scenes, but I
love yeah. So I think the Pacers. I would see
him last.
Speaker 6 (26:01):
Year when we went through this andfensive.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Yeah, old school, you know, I wouldn't mind Portland actually.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
You know, no, no, no, no, no, that can't.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Happen, just just for Damian Lillard purpose. You know, he
doesn't want that. He didn't He's been staying with Portland.
He has stayed there as a small market guy. We
always applaud these people who stay there for a long time.
To see him get a chance to end it at
least with some hope and with someone under his wing,
I think would be all right. I believe in us
(26:32):
more than I believe in them, Todd, I think it's
less than I'm just unafraid of them because I believe
that we are stacked.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
I admire that.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
I admire that, and I just again, no Western Conference
teams because that.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Character that guy is. He's frightening.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
He's an alien.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Yes, yes, liberal.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
Say alien in French.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
I have to google that for you. Look, I think
we've gone through our our love list, our hate list.
We hope, of course, to win the lottery. We know
the odds are small, but but this is it. It's
time to hunker down and start looking at the math machine.
So Graf, Aaron, thanks so much for hopping on. By
the way, it's extra terrest stray. That's how you say it.
(27:21):
That's how you're saying French so et so.
Speaker 4 (27:23):
You can call them too big old.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Thanks to Todd graf Nini and Aaron Summers for joining
us on the podcast talking what ifs, prognosticating about the future. Uh,
it's always fun to do. This is the time to
do it, you know. Jim, Wait, we were sort of
talking about the times of the past. Let's break down
the last few years. In twenty nineteen, the Pels only
(27:51):
had a six percent chance of getting number one. They
came in with at you know, number seven, pick was
where they're projected to be. Of course, got zion that
year twenty pre lottery thirteen were our odds. Ended up
getting the thirteenth pick. That was Kyra Lewis Junior twenty
twenty one, projected to get the tenth pick, ended up
getting the tenth pick. Trading out of that getting Trey
(28:12):
Murphy at seventeen. A brilliant move there. And then in
twenty twenty two we ended up with the eighth pick,
which would have gone to Memphis if we'd been outside
the top ten. Luckily got the eighth pick, got to
keep our pick, got Dyson Daniels there. So I feel
like we're due again. Man, the odds are in our favor.
If you keep rolling on Redman, eventually it's gonna hit.
(28:35):
I'm a Roulette man, let's say, and you know, Jim,
it's it's it's time. Let's get to it. The people
are getting pumped. I believe, yes they are.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
And one of the questions that I asked on Twitter
was if the Pelicans are able to win the number
one pick at the lottery Tuesday, how would you describe
your reaction? So I wanted to kind of go through
some of the ones that we got. I have to
say right off the bat, Joe that I think your
followers are a little more flavorful than mine. They came
(29:05):
up with your I think your list of responses was
a little little better than mine.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Yeah, they're pretty verbose.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
You know.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
That's the thing is is people follow you for information.
You know, so you got a lot of a Jiff comments.
You know a lot of people, just a lot of
sports people love to comment and Jiff's that doesn't really
translate to podcasts. No one follows me for information, Jim,
So I just get the sillies who I love because
those are my people. So, yeah, some colorful ones. Let
(29:31):
me see one of the ones we got here, Jim
of course asked on on Twitter. Pelicans have zero point
five percent chance of winning the NBA Draft lottery on Tuesday.
How would you describe your reaction if New Orleans gets
the number one? Pick one of my acts that I
got at Sports Drink at sp r T sdr n K.
(29:53):
I will saw part and eat an entire Igloo cooler,
which you know I wouldn't recommend, But I gotta be honest,
if we hit number one, I'd be pouring champagne on
that guy shoer.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
I think that guy's video might go viral though, if
you're able to get that on tape, I think there's
a good chance that that one's gonna be quite popular.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
When the trip to the hospital probably go viral too.
What did you do? Why? But then if they're in
New Orleans, I'll understand why, uh you know, but I'm
sure you got something of the sort in your contents.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
My favorite one was from Todd Underscore Judas, I think
that's how you say it, j U dic. He said
his reaction would be, I will be both pumped and
laughing my butt off at all these tankers losing all
year and coming up empty. Anyways, I love that response
because I feel very similarly that some of these teams
that have been banking on being terrible during the season
(30:43):
so that they can get a chance to get Wemby
it would ruin all of their plans. And for a
team like the Pelicans to do it with such distant
long odds, that would be I mean, for the if
you like to see other people suffer, I think that
would be hilarious to see.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Like the reactions more motivator in my life. Another favorite
of mine at v Ryle Underscore, Beard says, you know,
when you open a bag of cool ranch Doritos, you
get one with a seasoning all globbed on it. That's
a good feeling. That's pretty good feeling, man. I had
(31:17):
to respond, Ain't nothing better than being all globbed up
on the ritos? You know, when you get one of
those really dusty bags, that'd be pretty close.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
I'm not a big ranch Doritos guy, so I'm not
sure if I'm too familiar with that feeling. But I
might have to go to the store right now and
get one just to see if I can experience.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
That globbed up bro. You know. And at Babe Jamin
wrote to me, I'm getting goofed out on Merlow, throwing
on a beret and a striped shirt and three sixty
windmill dunking on the Autumn Zoo giraffe with a baguette
over my shoulder and three lit cigarettes in my mouth. Man,
he's going French with it.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
That's some serious specifics there too, when I like the
real the details here.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Really, this is quite a plan. The man knows how
to tell a tale. He is a great comedian in
this city. Go check out at Babe Jam and he
runs some good comedy shows. Yeah, man, so I think
there's some fun stuff over there. I believe I put
my own reaction of what I would do. I said,
I personally would be hitting the wipe me down TikTok,
dance shirtless as hard as my body could possibly handle
(32:22):
in the streets, drinking literally anything anyone handed to me
without even looking at it, well.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Speak of it speaking of viral videos, that one would
definitely go crazy as well. So, yeah, that's unbelievable. I
really would love to see that. That would be amazing.
You know, we talked earlier in the show with the
guests in terms of, you know, what it would mean
for the Pelicans to get the number one pick, and
I didn't.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
I didn't.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
I meant to weigh in, but I kind of skipped
over it and when we went on to the next subject.
But I think the hate that would come towards the
Pelicans would be quite enjoyable from the rest of the league.
I think a lot of people in New Orleans would
be saying, your hate only makes us stronger. There would
be so many people upset by the idea that the
Pelicans won it in twenty nineteen was ion and then
(33:08):
got it again in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
We would be vader I mean, they would be the third.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
Time in the last eleven years that in a year
where so many people were saying, like, this is the.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Year if you're gonna win the lottery, this is the year.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Yep, and so for the Pelicans to do that again,
that would just be it would be hysterical.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
I would be cackling like a ghoul for so long.
It would be a medical condition I don't know if
I would ever recover from. I would just be like
the Jokers, unable to do the podcast. But again, that
would be fantastic. The odds are slim, we know that. Man,
it's fun to dream, and this podcast is for a
dreaming for now when it's not for information. But we'll
(33:47):
find out.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Man.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
The draft lottery is on May sixteen, seven thirty pm
on ESPN, so you're gonna want to check out what happens.
Hopefully we won't see ourselves until late in that process. Jim, Yes,
I'm looking forward to this.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Like you said, we understand that, you know, the odds
aren't really that great, but this the most fun part
of this whole process is just thinking about what what
could potentially be. I mean, I feel like that was
the case in twenty nineteen, but at the end of
that one we actually did get the reward that we
weren't necessarily expecting, but was We're hoping and crossing our
(34:23):
fingers for just.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Saying if we end up in the top four I'm
gonna let out of Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
Tuesday night seven pm is the lottery before a seven
thirty Western Conference game on ESPN. So those are the
details you need to know. We will be back with
a follow up show to the draft lottery, but only
if the outcome is favorable. If the Pelicans finished fourteenth,
we probably will not be back with the show, you know,
discussing that because there won't be a lot happen ground
(34:50):
to cover. But you know, if they if they win
the number one pick, get ready because we will be
back on Wednesday with yes show.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
And we will sound terrible. So just warning. If we
win the lottery, we will be back croaking like death,
but we will be excited. So Jim, thanks for getting
through it with me. As always, my friend, big thanks
to you for listening to the Pelicans podcast. Continue telling
your friends and pals, hey, listen to the Pelicans podcast.
(35:17):
It's cool. Eventually they'll believe you. The podcast is of
course presented by Seat Geek. You can give Jim a
follow on Twitter at Jim Underscore. I can offer I
am over at jcar five oh four. We will talk
to you once again, perhaps soon we'll see but until then.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
Jobell.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
Thanks for listening to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast presented
by Seat Geek. Join us three times per week on
pelicans dot com, the Pelicans mobile app, or you can
subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. We'll see you next
time right here on the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast, presented
Bye Icy Cake
Welcome into the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast presented by Seat Gig,
a podcast dedicated to everything you need to know about
the squad. The New Orleans Pelicans podcast starts right now.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Welcome to the Pelicans Podcast presented by Seat Geek. I
am Joe Cardosi, once again joined by the Adroit Jim Ikenhoffer.
So glad to have him once again across from me.
We got some fun stuff to talk about. I know
we're gonna be talking about a lot of fantastical maybe situations,
(00:42):
maybe maybe things that might not happen, But this is
the time to do it, my friend. It's dream and time.
The NBA Lottery is upon us. You said it.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
I think we're gonna be going through some dream scenarios.
But who doesn't like to dream? And I think that's
a fun part of life. By the way, it is
great to be back. We had a little bit of
a break here before, which was nice. Team Yeah, it
was nice, and I feel energized. I feel refreshed, I
feel optimistic. I feel some might say adroit, whoa yes, yes,
and you did say that, so but yeah, we're gonna
(01:13):
have some fun with our guests. But I guess we
wanted to kind of set up the draft lottery with
a preview podcast today. I know a lot of people
are going to be tuning in on Tuesday to find
out where the Pelicans finish. Hopefully it won't be a
five second appearance for the Pelicans, as people know when
they when they open up the envelopes, they do it
in reverse order. Hopefully the Pelicans are not fourteenth. If
(01:35):
the if the first envelope is opened and it's not
the Pelicans, there's going to be some big excitement coming
into the picture.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Like even if yes, if it's not fourteen. Here's what
we should say is you know a lot of people
who may not be familiar with the lottery process. This
is this is what Gym's here. He's the info man.
People may be thinking, well, if we don't get fourteen,
we could maybe get ten or eleven. No, you either
get fourteen or you get one through four. That's basically it.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
Right.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Basically, to make a long story short, the only thing
that's really determined at the lottery is the top four spots.
That's the only thing that you can win. Yes, so
basically they they pull up the teams. I don't want
to get into too many specifics. I mean, there are
peop there're still a.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Lot of football fans in the city, I think who
are still like figuring out how the NBA lottery works.
Speaker 4 (02:19):
It is a little.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Complicated, but for the Pelicans specifically, they can either finish first, second, third,
or fourth or fourteenth. They have the best record of
any team that did not make the playoffs this year.
That's why they're in what I like to call the
pre lottery slot of fourteen. You don't want to say
fourteenth too much because you know, then people get confused
with where they're going to finish in the lottery itself.
(02:40):
So basically that's where what we're looking at. They have
a zero five point five percent chance of the number
one pick, zero point six percent at number two and three,
zero point seven at number four, and then the chances
of them finishing fourteenth in the lottery are ninety seven
point six percent, So you subtract that from one hundred
(03:02):
and they have a two point four percent chance of
finishing in the top four. If you think zero point
five to win it is a little bit too daunting
and a little bit too much for your blood. You
can look more at the two point four percent as
a little bit more realistic of you know, they could
finish in the top four if with that percentage.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
And it's a matter of perspective, man, I was looking
at that zero point five percent. That seems absolutely minuscule,
But it's also only one in two hundred, which doesn't seem.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
That that bad.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
You know.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
So like if someone tells me, hey, if you run
blindfolded across this road, you only have a zero point
five percent chance of getting hit, I'm like, yeah, give
me the blindfold. That seems fine. But if someone says
it's about a one in two hundred chance that you
might get hit by a car, I don't know, man,
that's a heck of a dare. That's an interesting way
of looking at it.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
I think the biggest odds that any team has ever
overcome to win the lottery was one in sixty six.
Orlando had that way back in the day, in the
during the shack era, back in the nineties. So one
in two hundred obviously is a little bit longer odds
than that, but it has been done before that a
team with you know what people thought had very little
(04:12):
chance to win actually did win.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
The lot I've got my toes all crossed in my shoes.
It feels horrible, but I'm doing everything for good luck
right now. And uh, you know it's it's it's a
thing that we got to talk about. It is a possibility.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
The Pelicans in twenty nineteen, they only had a six
percent chance of the number one pick. Look at that
they got that pick and got Zion Williamson. Uh, it
seems like we're due to beat the odds again, my friend,
because they haven't been with us the last few years.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
I really like the way that you're looking at things today.
I really like your optimism.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
And your black Eventually it's gonna hit man. Yeah, I
like that.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
I like that the idea that you know, they haven't
really been successful or lucky the last few years when
they've participated in the lottery. So yeah, this is the time.
I mean, why not do it in twenty twenty three?
Speaker 2 (04:56):
So and what better story than a team that clawed
and fought the way to try it again into the playoffs,
didn't quite make it, but then somehow get rewarded for
their hard work instead of these taking teams that are
just you saw what they were doing again, Just in
my heart, it'd be great. It's part of the reason
why in twenty nineteen that Zion lottery was so fun
(05:17):
for me. The people didn't think they were in the
mix for that number one pick all of a sudden,
that the Pelicans had a scrappy, hard fought season, that
they had a lot of bad luck and good a
good totem.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
Then yeah, no, that's a good point, and I'm sure
people remember the twenty eighteen nineteen season was not a
lot of fun. But in the last couple months of
that season, you had guys like Kenrich Williams who were
out there playing as hard as they could. That team
was that was not a terrible team. It wasn't a
team that won fifteen or twenty games and was just dreadful.
And they continued to compete in the last couple months
(05:50):
of the season despite what were some of the worst
circumstances possible, where you have your best player who already
has one foot out the door. So I think you
could make the case, you know, they had some good
karma that they were due based on the way they
finished out that season and continued to compete, at least
in terms of the guys that wanted to be.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
The guys that were on the floor were still trying, right,
they were still fun to root for. At that point
there was just the one guy you were done rooting for.
But again, this is I think, a good Karma season.
And again we know it is very unlikely that we
hop into the top four, but we got to talk
about it because it is a chance, and man, it's fun,
(06:29):
it really is.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
And you know, we're gonna be getting into some fun
with our guests here in the next segment. But I
wanted to kind of briefly set up what we're gonna
be talking about, just so people have an understanding of
the kind of the bigger picture. There's three teams, really,
the top three teams, and I would consider this to
be the top tier of the lottery, which is Detroit, Houston,
San Antonio all have exactly fourteen percent chance of winning
(06:51):
the lottery. The second tier, in my mind, is Charlotte, Portland,
Orlando that has between twelve point five and nine percent
chances of winning the lottery. After that, there's a little
bit of more of a drop off to the point
where it gets to be a little bit more difficult
for some of these other teams to win. However, Indiana
and Washington are in the seventh and eighth slot. They
(07:12):
have six point eight and six point percent chance, which
is actually very similar to what New Orleans had when
they won it with when they won the Zion lottery,
so I guess we shouldn't rule them out. And then
off after that you have Utah, Dallas, Chicago, Oklahoma City, Toronto,
and New Orleans rounding out the fourteen teams that will
be participating in the line.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Basically, it's like it's like a cone. The closer to
fourteen you are, the lower your odds get. So the
fact that we are at fourteen means we have the
lowest odds of getting the number one. But again we
are do and can't wait to talk about it with
Todd Grafanini and Aaron Summers, who are going to be
in studio here also glad to see them, and we're
gonna get into all the scenarios, the what ifs, however
(07:53):
unlikely they are, we're gonna cover them, and then we're
going to talk the practical stuff too. So let's get
into it with Tom Grafanini, our radio play by play voice,
and our own team reporter Aaron Summers joining us on
the Pelicans podcast, So glad to have them in studio again.
(08:16):
Mister Todd Graffanini our radio play by play voice, Aaron Summers,
our sideline reporter. We got to talk about all the scenarios.
Gemini sort of set it up. We know that it's
highly unlikely, mathematically speaking, the Vegas odds are not with
us that we're gonna end up nailing this this lottery
and ending up in the number one pick. But we
(08:36):
got to talk about it. There is an alien prospect
at number one that is a franchise changing prospect. Obviously
everyone's talking about him, and you know, none of the
players in the top four slouches either. So I mean,
what would it mean to you to jump into the
to the number one slot? What would it mean for
the Pelicans to be able to do that?
Speaker 5 (08:55):
Well, I mean, obviously with all the hype with with
Gwen Byama, I mean it would be incredible. Now would
the luck that the Pelicans had getting Anthony Davis of
course number one, and then Zion Williamson a couple of
years later. I mean, to get two number one picks
is pretty incredible.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
To get three, well, then I think.
Speaker 5 (09:18):
You know Griff would might might get that statue out
front pretty quickly if you could get three number one picks.
But I mean, obviously to get that would be almost
like being.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
Struck by lightning.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
Yes, the odds are like that, but you know, I mean.
Speaker 4 (09:32):
Look, you never know. That's why they twirl the ping
pong balls.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Will Aaron I was talking about this with Jim. It
is very unlikely. It's zero point five percent chance. But
then when you break it down, only one in two hundred.
That's not that bad. It's just how you look at it.
Speaker 6 (09:46):
Yeah, no, no, exactly, like one in two hundred. It's like,
all right, well, okay, so you're saying there's a chance.
Great love that, and that's what you in one regard,
you have the best record of the fourteen teams that
did not make playoffs, so you're not that far off.
So it's not that we necessarily need a number one pick,
but we do have a chance of getting one.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
So that's kind of cool.
Speaker 6 (10:09):
Yeah, yeah, you know, glass half.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Full, yes, of course. And look, we were not going
to sort of get into the number one pick sort
of specifics, because again those odds are quite small, but
top four gets a little better. You got about a
two point four percent chance to hop into the top four.
Four perspective, in twenty nineteen, the Pelicans only had a
six percent chance of landing number one when they got Zion,
(10:32):
a little better odds, of course, but still possible to
land in that top four. What do you want to
see them address?
Speaker 5 (10:38):
Basically, I think, look, we've been talking about it all
year long. I just think that the outside shooting needs
to improve. Yeah, I mean, I don't think this is
any groundbreaking stuff here along the lines of what we've
seen Trey Murphy do in the last couple of years.
We knew Trey could shoot the ball coming out of Virginia,
(10:59):
and he is really you know, he started off Slow's
rookie year, but that was to be expected. But once
he started to figure out, we saw him make that
huge jump from his rookie year to what we saw
this year, which is really very closely on the verge
of fifty forty ninety. And those are the type of
players I think that this team looks to address. I
(11:21):
think we've already done that in the draft. Defensively, when
you talk about what we've seen the last couple of
years with Herb Jones and Dyson Daniels. I think now,
right at this particular juncture, it is about shooting, and
those are the you know, prospects you're gonna have to
look at.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
I think to your point too, Todd, the Pelicans were
fifteenth and three point percentage, so not that bad, not bad,
but they were twenty third in makes per game. So
really it's a matter of getting more shots up.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
And obviously, right.
Speaker 4 (11:53):
I have to you just put on this spot, get it.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
I'm gonna guess and say it was.
Speaker 6 (11:59):
I mean, we probably had twenty seven attempts.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
It was twenty ninth. Actually, yeah, instead of a sneaky hymn,
we have eighty summers.
Speaker 6 (12:06):
No.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
You know, it's interesting because Willie Green just harped on
it all year long. We got to get more shots up,
we got to get more three point shots up, three
point shots up, and you know, I seeing these words,
but for whatever reason, it just didn't work out each
and every I think we saw the attempts go up,
especially in the last month month and a half of
the season, but nowhere near what we see obviously when
(12:27):
you're playing a team like Boston or Golden State, when
they're jacking fifty up a game, it's like, my goodness, gracious.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
I mean, we could really digress here and go into
the why because of the injuries.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
C J.
Speaker 6 (12:38):
McCollum, you know, thumb, et cetera. But yes, outside shooting
would be lovely. But I think we're going to see
a very different team than what we saw all last year,
so it's kind of hard to gauge what our true
needs are going to be.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
That's a great point.
Speaker 5 (12:52):
And look, I think for the most part, and the
numbers back it up, the Pels were pretty solid defensive.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Team all year long.
Speaker 2 (12:59):
Sixth efficiency.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
Yeah, and look that's what Willie Green when he came
here two years ago. We want to have a top
ten defense. That's really this is this is a defensive
minded coach and staff, and they top ten defense. Top
that you play defense each and every night, you're gonna
give yourself a chance no matter what you're doing as
far as shooting the basketball. And when Zion Williamson plays,
(13:24):
obviously our offense is in a much better place. So
we'll just again have to see, first of all, let's
get healthy in the off season, everybody back on the court,
and then we'll see what happens.
Speaker 4 (13:35):
With the draft.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
Because I've seen people say point guard, you know a
true god that's going to bring the ball up, but
you have that much when you have Zion on the court.
Brandon showed that he can do that. Daniels like, there are.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
A lot Joselo yes, be a knife fight for point
guard minutes. Well, you know you want to distribute. You
want someone to just distribute the ball. Jose has been
great at that.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
I think to add to Aaron's point two, when this
team is healthy or close to healthy, there's a bunch
of guys that are going to be on the ball
a lot and kind of you can run the offense
through z Iion, you can run through Brandon Ingram.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
We've seen that over and over again.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
So even if you say you want to add a
point guard, maybe it's a point guard that can shoot
threes really well and he's not necessarily just a distributor.
Who's ever who's going to average like eight points a
game and a bunch of assists. Maybe it's a guy
that one of his big pieces of his skill set
or his strengths is that he can be a knockdown.
Speaker 5 (14:30):
Health Aaron, I think we've been working too much together
because I was literally going to say, but but that's
going to get him off the ball and it's going
to take all the pressure off from him where he
was handling the ball a lot more than he would
normally do, and that can affect his offense at times.
We've seen what he is capable of. I mean, look,
(14:52):
he set the record for threes in a game. He's
made eleven of them in a game. So if you
get him off the ball most of the he'll handle
it ever you know, every so often. But if he's
playing that true too, he can just sit there and
cook offensively.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
And to go back to what you guys said about
three point shooting in terms of the volume, in terms
of the number of attempts, to me, it's a combination
of the coaching staff emphasizing it more. Obviously they emphasized
it a ton this year. I think they made a
little bit of progress, but didn't get to where they
wanted to, as you can tell by the fact that
I said they finished twenty ninth in attempts. You want
to be a lot higher than that. But to me,
(15:31):
it's a combination of making sure that you just shoot
more threes, but also the personnel has to be you know,
adequate to the point where they're comfort comfortable. If you
can add a guy in the draft or some other
way in the offseason. It might not be through the
fourteenth pick. It might be either the fourteenth pick or
some way that you use that fourteenth pick. If you
can add another guy or two into the rotation that
(15:51):
is comfortable taking five or six threes a game, that's
how you get your volume up. I mean, you can
tell you can put together a roster of guys and
say shoot more three, shoot more three, shoot more threes.
But if they're not comfortable doing it, it's gonna be
hard to get to where you want to go.
Speaker 5 (16:04):
Well, here's the thing too, and I know you're gonna
get to last couple of points on this, but you
think about a team like Boston, who I mean, if
they're not putting up forty five threes in a game
that you know, that's that's just way below what or
way below what they normally would do. There's a difference though,
(16:25):
in between what you're gonna see in the regular season
and what you're seeing in the playoffs. And a team
like the Celtics, who you're thinking, all right, they've got
a legitimate chance to win the NBA Championship. But they
have really lived and died with the three all year long,
and it is cost them sure dearly in this postseason,
(16:46):
especially against the seventy six ers, because if you live
that way and they're not going in, you're gonna find yourself,
you know, on the outside looking in.
Speaker 4 (16:56):
It happened with the Houston Rockets for sure.
Speaker 5 (16:59):
Yeah you know a few years ago when they're jacking
sixty threes up in a game. Yeah, well, that's great
in the regular season, but that does not always translate
the postseason.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
Beat and health is crucial, and I think Aaron, you've
seen it so much on the sideline. The reason a
lot of this team, that reason we were saying they
were stacked and you know they were so deep, is
there's multi level scoring. You can score in the paint
with Zion, you got Jonas, you got mid range scoring
with Brandon Ingram, You've got your three point shooting theoretically
with CJ, with Trey, You've got the pieces sort of
(17:27):
theoretically in place. It's just a bit of tinkering, bit
of health. We talked about where we want to be
in the lottery, but but what we want to talk
about here is we love to hate. Who do you
not want to see win the lottery? There's a plenty
of teams in the top tier there. You got the Pistons,
you got the Rockets, you got the Spurs. They all
share an equal fourteen percent share of getting that first pick.
(17:51):
Then you got, you know, sort of the lower odds teams.
You got Charlotte, you got Portland, you got Orlando. Not
a lot of teams that are easy to hate there.
But you know, I'm gonna start off with you because
I want to put you on the spot there since
you sort of made Jim google those numbers there. Who
do you not want to see?
Speaker 6 (18:06):
Wow? All right, all right, okay, so and this is
just because I don't like someone to have an embarrassment
of riches and the city of Chicago. Right now, they
had the number one pick in the NFL draft, although
they did trade that away, but they got some great
assets for it.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Draft.
Speaker 6 (18:21):
They just got the number one pick in the NHL draft.
We don't need a number one pick in the NBA.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Draft either, Like, yeah, that is creative.
Speaker 6 (18:31):
So that's one Orlando.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
They just got it last year with po Like, let's
not give it to them again.
Speaker 6 (18:38):
Yeah, they got back to back number one picks not
so long ago in nineteen ninety three when they had
Shack number one, and then the next year they hit
on one point five to two percent odds and got
Chris Weber.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
See, see, it's time for us to break the it's
time for us to beat the odds. And Aaron's bringing
my point back up. I think we're due. I think
we're due. Basically all right, I'm not going to go
in depth.
Speaker 4 (19:00):
Is as Aaron just did.
Speaker 6 (19:03):
Who I know, you guys are just going her emotions.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
That's why we need That's why we need a woman
need to think it out, and we're just.
Speaker 5 (19:13):
We absolutely cannot have the San Antonio Spurs or the
Houston Rockets. Uh more san Antonio than Houston because the
times that San Antonio's got the number one pick, they
basically turned into a dynasty. No san Antonio, and I
mean this is a very very low chance, very low,
(19:38):
kind of like Pelicans ask low. But if Oklahoma City
gets it, yeah, we can't have that either. So no,
basically the Western Conference, no, no Western Conference teams.
Speaker 4 (19:51):
But starting with San Antonio.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
I'm gonna delve into the hostility that I have from
years of the Spurs doing really well against the Pelicans,
and I think some of the frustrations in New Orleans
with the basketball team that have been created by the
Spurs over the years were very evident when you look
at like the Pelicans swept them for the first time
(20:13):
ever this year, and there was a bunch of funny
stats when the Pelicans destroyed them in San Antonio last
season that were like amazing. The record in the games
in San Antonio was something like five and thirty and
I've been here for a lot of that and I
didn't even realize it was as bad as it was.
So I agree, Graf, we don't want the Spurs.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
They've had weight.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
I try to look at things a little bit in
kind of fairness, in the context of history. They've been
good for so long that to me, they deserve another
They deserve another few years of being near the bottom
of the league the way they have been before. I
would be like, Okay, now I can see them getting
some good luck. So they're number one on my list.
I also have the Mavericks on my list of a
team that I don't want to win the lottery, because
(20:57):
I mean, I think some of its obvious reasons. They
are another team that's been really successful. I mean I
had to go with teams in the West right off
the bat because yeah, and here's another thing too, I
want to throw out. If the Pelicans win the lottery
and the Mavericks don't move up, the Mavericks would bump
down to eleven. They have a top ten protected pick,
(21:19):
So the Pelicans winning the lottery most likely would mean
the Mavericks lose their first round pick as well. So
there was some shenanigans at the end of the regular season.
That's another reason why I don't want to see the
Mavericks win the lottery because based on what they did
at the end of the regular season, they don't deserve
to get the number one people. Yeah, yeah, and I
would you could sit here and say, like Jim, you're
(21:41):
making unfounded accusations. No, they got They got fined by
the league for doing it. So the Spurs. The Spurs
and the Mavericks are my top two teams I don't
want to see.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
Yeah, you know, I was looking at it, and and
and Aaron had a good outside the box sort of
opener there with Chicago and and Graft brought up a
good point with two with Oklahoma City. But but yeah,
you sat beat me to it. Man, it's when I
look at it and all the teams that have the
odds as it gets lower and lower. It is low
odds with Dallas. But man, I would hate to see
Dallas get it just having Luca, having Kyrie and then
(22:11):
having you know, a number one or top four pick.
It would just make me sick.
Speaker 5 (22:15):
While you were talking about San Antonio and how good
they were, I mean, you think about it just a
couple of years ago when they were still the pop Roaches.
They had Dejonte Murray, Derek White, and Lonnie Walker the
fourth They were all on that team.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
And now look what those guys are doing and all the.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
Play impact in the playoffs. Yeah, and and so look,
it's it's easy to hate on them. I think we
all sort of agree, like Naca Birdle too.
Speaker 4 (22:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
See again, graph is going to be up all night
thinking of the reasons and seasons that he didn't like
the Spurs. But you know, I don't want to end
the time on a negative noe. We've talked about who
we don't want to win, and I think we all
agree most people, But who wouldn't you mind? You know,
there's a few teams. There's some there's some scrappy teams
that have sort of you know, they've been eating some
(23:00):
dirt for a while there. They deserve some do who
would you would you not mind seeing get with me
Charlotte Hornets?
Speaker 4 (23:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (23:06):
I think they they need some good things to happen
to themselves. It's a great, great town, great arena. They've
got really ascot now the fans are awesome too. Yeah,
that's true.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
They do have a great mascot.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
We met him up close and personal for many many years.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
Uh No, and again they posed no basically no threat
to the New Orleans Pelicans franchise. Right, So I'm gonna
go with the Charlotte Hornets.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Yeah that's a pretty harmless choice.
Speaker 6 (23:32):
Yeah. I mean so if you if you look at
the people with the best odds, the fourteen percenters, you know,
Detroit has been there the past few years.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
Well they just got them to two years ago.
Speaker 6 (23:41):
They want it so but they still suck. Yes, Yeah,
I mean I kind of feel like maybe they could
use a.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
Little bit of the choice.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Been through it too, man, you know, yeah, like the top.
Speaker 6 (23:52):
Because it's San Antonio Houston and Detroit that I'll have
fourteen percent odds, so process of elimination of who we
hate less.
Speaker 2 (24:00):
Yeah, basically, yeah, and I've got some I've got some
Pistons fans, friends who call them the Stones, the Pistones,
you know, so that that would be fine with me. Jim,
you got any anyone with it? You hoping to have
a horse shoot in their pocket.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
I don't know what this says about Graft or what
it says about me, but once again I have the
exact same answer as he does on this question. I
had the Hornets as the team that I want to
win the lottery if the Pelicans don't. I mean part
of this is I think it would be so fun
to see them add the number one pick to LaMelo Ball,
great point guard who's you know, a past first guy
(24:34):
but also can score a little bit. I just think
that would be so much fun to watch. And the
other reason I had on my list of notes was
they actually now with Sacramento making the playoffs, Charlotte has
the longest playoff drought in the league of seven years.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
They've missed it seven years.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
In a row.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
They've been in the play in though.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
Yeah, that's true, that's true.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Last year.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
True, they got bit by the well again, who didn't. Yeah,
they've been a bit injury. They've been in the play
in twice.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
They this was the first time they they didn't get
it in this new format, but the second longest playoff drought.
No one has more than four years in a row
missing the playoffs in the entire league, including Detroit. I
think they made it in twenty twenty eighteen or twenty nineteen.
So I went with them, and I had two other
kind of honorable mentions. Not to disagree with what Aaron
(25:18):
said earlier, but I had the magic And part of
that is because I think they have such an intriguing
group of young players, they have such a good core.
I think to add the number one pick to that
would be really interesting and really fun. I agree that.
I mean, historically you could make the case that maybe
they've they've already used up their luck from back in
the day. And then the third team I had was
(25:39):
the Pacers, just from the standpoint that I just like
that franchise. I think, you know, they're obviously a small
market team like New Orleans. I just there's just something
about them that I've always been supportive of them. I
feel like we've had really good interactions with their PR department,
Like it's.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
Just a yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
I know that's a little behind the scenes, but I
love yeah. So I think the Pacers. I would see
him last.
Speaker 6 (26:01):
Year when we went through this andfensive.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Yeah, old school, you know, I wouldn't mind Portland actually.
Speaker 4 (26:08):
You know, no, no, no, no, no, that can't.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Happen, just just for Damian Lillard purpose. You know, he
doesn't want that. He didn't He's been staying with Portland.
He has stayed there as a small market guy. We
always applaud these people who stay there for a long time.
To see him get a chance to end it at
least with some hope and with someone under his wing,
I think would be all right. I believe in us
(26:32):
more than I believe in them, Todd, I think it's
less than I'm just unafraid of them because I believe
that we are stacked.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
I admire that.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
I admire that, and I just again, no Western Conference
teams because that.
Speaker 4 (26:47):
Character that guy is. He's frightening.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
He's an alien.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Yes, yes, liberal.
Speaker 4 (26:56):
Say alien in French.
Speaker 2 (27:00):
I have to google that for you. Look, I think
we've gone through our our love list, our hate list.
We hope, of course, to win the lottery. We know
the odds are small, but but this is it. It's
time to hunker down and start looking at the math machine.
So Graf, Aaron, thanks so much for hopping on. By
the way, it's extra terrest stray. That's how you say it.
(27:21):
That's how you're saying French so et so.
Speaker 4 (27:23):
You can call them too big old.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
Thanks to Todd graf Nini and Aaron Summers for joining
us on the podcast talking what ifs, prognosticating about the future. Uh,
it's always fun to do. This is the time to
do it, you know. Jim, Wait, we were sort of
talking about the times of the past. Let's break down
the last few years. In twenty nineteen, the Pels only
(27:51):
had a six percent chance of getting number one. They
came in with at you know, number seven, pick was
where they're projected to be. Of course, got zion that
year twenty pre lottery thirteen were our odds. Ended up
getting the thirteenth pick. That was Kyra Lewis Junior twenty
twenty one, projected to get the tenth pick, ended up
getting the tenth pick. Trading out of that getting Trey
(28:12):
Murphy at seventeen. A brilliant move there. And then in
twenty twenty two we ended up with the eighth pick,
which would have gone to Memphis if we'd been outside
the top ten. Luckily got the eighth pick, got to
keep our pick, got Dyson Daniels there. So I feel
like we're due again. Man, the odds are in our favor.
If you keep rolling on Redman, eventually it's gonna hit.
(28:35):
I'm a Roulette man, let's say, and you know, Jim,
it's it's it's time. Let's get to it. The people
are getting pumped. I believe, yes they are.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
And one of the questions that I asked on Twitter
was if the Pelicans are able to win the number
one pick at the lottery Tuesday, how would you describe
your reaction? So I wanted to kind of go through
some of the ones that we got. I have to
say right off the bat, Joe that I think your
followers are a little more flavorful than mine. They came
(29:05):
up with your I think your list of responses was
a little little better than mine.
Speaker 2 (29:09):
Yeah, they're pretty verbose.
Speaker 3 (29:10):
You know.
Speaker 2 (29:10):
That's the thing is is people follow you for information.
You know, so you got a lot of a Jiff comments.
You know a lot of people, just a lot of
sports people love to comment and Jiff's that doesn't really
translate to podcasts. No one follows me for information, Jim,
So I just get the sillies who I love because
those are my people. So, yeah, some colorful ones. Let
(29:31):
me see one of the ones we got here, Jim
of course asked on on Twitter. Pelicans have zero point
five percent chance of winning the NBA Draft lottery on Tuesday.
How would you describe your reaction if New Orleans gets
the number one? Pick one of my acts that I
got at Sports Drink at sp r T sdr n K.
(29:53):
I will saw part and eat an entire Igloo cooler,
which you know I wouldn't recommend, But I gotta be honest,
if we hit number one, I'd be pouring champagne on
that guy shoer.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
I think that guy's video might go viral though, if
you're able to get that on tape, I think there's
a good chance that that one's gonna be quite popular.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
When the trip to the hospital probably go viral too.
What did you do? Why? But then if they're in
New Orleans, I'll understand why, uh you know, but I'm
sure you got something of the sort in your contents.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
My favorite one was from Todd Underscore Judas, I think
that's how you say it, j U dic. He said
his reaction would be, I will be both pumped and
laughing my butt off at all these tankers losing all
year and coming up empty. Anyways, I love that response
because I feel very similarly that some of these teams
that have been banking on being terrible during the season
(30:43):
so that they can get a chance to get Wemby
it would ruin all of their plans. And for a
team like the Pelicans to do it with such distant
long odds, that would be I mean, for the if
you like to see other people suffer, I think that
would be hilarious to see.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Like the reactions more motivator in my life. Another favorite
of mine at v Ryle Underscore, Beard says, you know,
when you open a bag of cool ranch Doritos, you
get one with a seasoning all globbed on it. That's
a good feeling. That's pretty good feeling, man. I had
(31:17):
to respond, Ain't nothing better than being all globbed up
on the ritos? You know, when you get one of
those really dusty bags, that'd be pretty close.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
I'm not a big ranch Doritos guy, so I'm not
sure if I'm too familiar with that feeling. But I
might have to go to the store right now and
get one just to see if I can experience.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
That globbed up bro. You know. And at Babe Jamin
wrote to me, I'm getting goofed out on Merlow, throwing
on a beret and a striped shirt and three sixty
windmill dunking on the Autumn Zoo giraffe with a baguette
over my shoulder and three lit cigarettes in my mouth. Man,
he's going French with it.
Speaker 3 (31:54):
That's some serious specifics there too, when I like the
real the details here.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Really, this is quite a plan. The man knows how
to tell a tale. He is a great comedian in
this city. Go check out at Babe Jam and he
runs some good comedy shows. Yeah, man, so I think
there's some fun stuff over there. I believe I put
my own reaction of what I would do. I said,
I personally would be hitting the wipe me down TikTok,
dance shirtless as hard as my body could possibly handle
(32:22):
in the streets, drinking literally anything anyone handed to me
without even looking at it, well.
Speaker 3 (32:27):
Speak of it speaking of viral videos, that one would
definitely go crazy as well. So, yeah, that's unbelievable. I
really would love to see that. That would be amazing.
You know, we talked earlier in the show with the
guests in terms of, you know, what it would mean
for the Pelicans to get the number one pick, and
I didn't.
Speaker 4 (32:46):
I didn't.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
I meant to weigh in, but I kind of skipped
over it and when we went on to the next subject.
But I think the hate that would come towards the
Pelicans would be quite enjoyable from the rest of the league.
I think a lot of people in New Orleans would
be saying, your hate only makes us stronger. There would
be so many people upset by the idea that the
Pelicans won it in twenty nineteen was ion and then
(33:08):
got it again in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
We would be vader I mean, they would be the third.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
Time in the last eleven years that in a year
where so many people were saying, like, this is the.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
Year if you're gonna win the lottery, this is the year.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
Yep, and so for the Pelicans to do that again,
that would just be it would be hysterical.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
I would be cackling like a ghoul for so long.
It would be a medical condition I don't know if
I would ever recover from. I would just be like
the Jokers, unable to do the podcast. But again, that
would be fantastic. The odds are slim, we know that. Man,
it's fun to dream, and this podcast is for a
dreaming for now when it's not for information. But we'll
(33:47):
find out.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Man.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
The draft lottery is on May sixteen, seven thirty pm
on ESPN, so you're gonna want to check out what happens.
Hopefully we won't see ourselves until late in that process. Jim, Yes,
I'm looking forward to this.
Speaker 3 (34:03):
Like you said, we understand that, you know, the odds
aren't really that great, but this the most fun part
of this whole process is just thinking about what what
could potentially be. I mean, I feel like that was
the case in twenty nineteen, but at the end of
that one we actually did get the reward that we
weren't necessarily expecting, but was We're hoping and crossing our
(34:23):
fingers for just.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Saying if we end up in the top four I'm
gonna let out of Yeah.
Speaker 3 (34:28):
Tuesday night seven pm is the lottery before a seven
thirty Western Conference game on ESPN. So those are the
details you need to know. We will be back with
a follow up show to the draft lottery, but only
if the outcome is favorable. If the Pelicans finished fourteenth,
we probably will not be back with the show, you know,
discussing that because there won't be a lot happen ground
(34:50):
to cover. But you know, if they if they win
the number one pick, get ready because we will be
back on Wednesday with yes show.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
And we will sound terrible. So just warning. If we
win the lottery, we will be back croaking like death,
but we will be excited. So Jim, thanks for getting
through it with me. As always, my friend, big thanks
to you for listening to the Pelicans podcast. Continue telling
your friends and pals, hey, listen to the Pelicans podcast.
(35:17):
It's cool. Eventually they'll believe you. The podcast is of
course presented by Seat Geek. You can give Jim a
follow on Twitter at Jim Underscore. I can offer I
am over at jcar five oh four. We will talk
to you once again, perhaps soon we'll see but until then.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
Jobell.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
Thanks for listening to the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast presented
by Seat Geek. Join us three times per week on
pelicans dot com, the Pelicans mobile app, or you can
subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. We'll see you next
time right here on the New Orleans Pelicans Podcast, presented
Bye Icy Cake
Host
Jim Eichenhofer
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