⛰️ Can the Pelicans Survive the West? Inside Their Uphill Battle for Respect in 2025
regardless of what Mei has done. But you know what? I’m kind of disappointed in Mei. Mei went and put on all that muscle and it’s like, dog, did you work on your skills? Cuz he did not impress me. And I’m kind of But like you said, U DC, you know, it it’s almost like, you know, Mei needs to be instructed on where to go and and stuff like that. But I was I was hoping he would have been I was hoping to see a whole lot more from him. I mean, it’s not too late, but you know, I mean, defensively, I don’t think he looked horrible. He did a He looked like he got a little better rebounding. Not as big of an improvement as I would like. And we need him to finish around that basket. And I can’t really gauge it. It’s in the summer league, right? He still can’t catch for you know? I mean, yeah. No, he can’t. But I mean, look at how we looked at Jordan Hawkins on on last last summer league. You know, we we want, you know, you always we always talk about how we want to see some improvement. What have you guys been working on? You’ve had plenty of time. Your off season started early. You didn’t make the playin uh nor the playoffs, so you had plenty of time to work on your, you know, your game. Work on something, you know, uh cuz the off season, you still in the off season. But, you know, I think just naturally, we want to see something that’s different, you know, and Jordan Hawkins, you could tell, you know, he he worked on his defense, worked on getting stronger. Know, we knew his shot was already there. I don’t I don’t know if his handle really got any better, but it’s like me dog, you a professional. You got to be able to catch. You got to be able to catch the ball, be strong when you go up with the ball, you know, just things like that. Finishing around the basket. Um it just seems like he he’s delayed like dude like guys shouldn’t be easily be able to block your shot and stuff like that. And then understand like using the pump fake, you know, pump faking when you got uh the defender on your hip and stuff, you know what I’m saying? And then, you know, going up strong with the ball and not losing and things. But I think really the catching and just finishing around the basket is uh that’s one of the things that kind of bothered me. Like dude, you put on all this weight, okay? They’re not pushing you around. But if you’re not finishing around the basket, if you’re not catching the ball, they still pushing you around even with the weight on, you know. So, I just just, you know, I I know this stuff is a process, you know. And, you know, Mei, he he hasn’t he doesn’t have a lot of years under his belt, you know, since being drafted and things, but you you do want to see some improvement. I mean, and like I said, it’s the same thing with Jordan Hawkins. We we want to see it with him. And one thing that didn’t help with Jordan is that they didn’t have him in the right position. You know, they they they they wanted him to handle point. And it’s like, dude, like he’s a true two. Like that’s his role. You know what I’m saying? But it’s like I I I kind of see what they were trying to do. And I’m not mad at it. I think they were the the idea was to increase Jordan’s handle. like when I see him dribble, he has the ability to be a lot better with with the ball than he is, right? So, I think they thought allowing him to run point in the summer league would unlock or maybe open up a little bit of a more playmaking skill for him. You know, he’s supposed to be baby Ray Allen, right? You know, so yeah, baby Ray, but he’s You know what I’m saying? I’ve never seen Clay Steph or or Ray like, you know, benched like that. They still get playing time. That’s why they said baby Rick. But I think they were trying to add to to his uh his bag for his dribbling. That’s all I think that was about. And have him be, you know, better at getting his own shot and being successful with it. That failed miserably cuz I don’t I just don’t think we do good developing guys through stuff like that. like we can we can get them to grow at what they’re already good at, but just introducing like a whole new set of skills for them, man. Since we we lost the the shot doctor, I don’t know. Who have we unlocked with this new skill that we didn’t they didn’t have when they got here? Nobody. I think Jordan Jordan Hawkins is just casualty of I still I still think that we bringing him up, man. He He’s a wild card to me because I still think he can be pretty good when uh he gets away from this coach and stuff, whether that’s with us or somebody else. Um we we just don’t use him properly at what he’s good at and he don’t get enough minutes to kind of stay in the rhythm. He he he’s more of a rhythm shooter and you know when you don’t know what your damn role is from one game to the next I could see how that could not have you uh play your best and also he dealing with the back thing. So curious to see how it pans out for Hawk. Still think he’s a guy with a ton of potential but you know he ain’t get no younger. He was already a old rookie. Let’s see what we got here. The standings in the West. So just want to take a look at the Western Conference before we get up out of here. And uh I know we got all these issues, but I don’t think it’s impossible for the Pel. You got so many good teams in the West, man. I mean, you got teams with 40 wins that ain’t going to make the playoffs. And when you go over to the East Yeah. But they they had a 40 win. Yeah. I feel like the Southwest division is the is the hardest. Like the Southwest division just packed packed up. Yeah. They they ain’t even playing, man. That’s why I I I don’t even need to look outside the Southwest division. I mean, the Southwest though, you still got and to me two coaches that ain’t proven in the coach of the Spurs and then the coach of Memphis. Like, we we don’t know how that’s going to pan out or if they gonna add them extra five wins as a coach. You know, Willie Green ain’t up there, is he? better, you know, gone. But you do got Jason Kid and you got uh Udoka with Houston. Yeah. Uh they’re they’re definitely awesome. And and the Spurs really I know we don’t know a whole lot about that coach, but I mean Papovic just you know has the reigns on to this dude. You know what I’m saying? like, you know, so I’m really not worried about that too much because Pop is just in the in the office is, you know what I’m saying? Like you you really you he’s not going to be shy about coming down and talking to him and all that stuff. I I’m pretty sure he’s learned a whole lot um from him. So, and then with the talent that he has, you know, I I’m I’m pretty sure he’s going to be just fine. the culture in Memphis, they’ve had the same identity for a long time. They really have. And because they’ve had such a strong identity, being the grindhouse, the grit and grind, you know, whatever the motto is, that’s going to be there. So, I I understand that those coaches are unproven. Obviously, they are, but the identity of the organization and their system is still there. Okay. It’s almost like I don’t even know their system is still there. You familiar with their new coach? No, but I know I know they had organization. They have a strong identity. They have a strong system. Like they’ve kept that intact for years. Like it’s it it’s been like that. The Pelicans Pelicans don’t have that. What do they call what they be running? That circle that circle motion where everybody just kind of moves uh away from the ball like in a circle. You know what that is? Like it’s like a kind of a set that they was running. I don’t know if they still run it. When somebody would drive, everybody would move like away from the ball almost in a circular like type motion. It was something real negative they was doing, man. Uh yeah, it was motion, but they they do it a little different. Um Well, there’s a lot of different motion offenses. This one I I I ain’t never seen nobody doing it. They did it. And who who did this? That’s what I’m saying. I don’t know who the who the main guy was behind that. I’m just curious if he’s still over there in Memphis. I think it might have been uh you know, one of the assistant coaches or whatever that came came with that. Oh, that might maybe that’s the guy they called up to be that coach. Saying he’s a great coach. Guess you’re talking about the coach from Yeah. Oh, damn. So, he is the coach. Okay. They offense probably going to be stellar then if that guy is the coach cuz uh now who are you talking about dudes at the Spurs? No, I’m talking about Memphis. Oh, okay. I mean, I didn’t I don’t know his name either, but Stacy say he the best offensive mind in the world. That’s how I praise Stacy. But yeah, he was assistant over there and he had that motion offense, man. It’s like everybody, but he wasn’t helping the Pelicans out at all. And we supposed to have an offensive guru and Burggo, but we don’t ever see that with Willie as a head coach. That’s still that’s different like from what I’m talking about with this this guy came through he came through with an innovation like he came through with something new that you know hadn’t been seen before but um I was just curious about that but looking at a lot of these teams in the west like I’m I’m gauging it I’m pretty sure Memphis is going to be good for years to come but first year coach you got the Spurs first year coach I mean they they gonna be at the last year for the Spurs no Memphis the Memphis his coach they they they late in the year and you know they went through Yeah. But I mean I mean yeah it’s still it’s still an adjustment. It’s an adjustment you know. Okay. Well the Spurs they got they got some young guys. You got Castle secondyear player who you you kind of depending on. You got Dylan Harper who’s a rookie. You know what I’m saying? Wimy’s uh you know ready. And they they got some other pieces around them. I’m not saying they’re not going Kelly. Kelly Kelly Oolen been on 15 teams, you know, as good as I like them with us. It ain’t like, oh my god, they got Kelly Oolen. I don’t know what we gonna do, you know. Well, he’s a smart player. He is a smart player and he he fits them well. Very dis I can’t look at Kelly Oolen and be like he’s the defining factor when it comes to No, I was just saying like, you know, to add, you know, another high IQ player, a stretch a stretch four, you know, that that’s a plus, you know. Um, and then you still have De’Aran, you still have Vel and Yeah, they got Dear Fox and Johnson. I’m a little curious to how they going to roll that out. Like, is one of those guys going to come off the bench or they gonna just run through? Still got Harrison Barnes, don’t they? They still got Harrison Barnes. Okay. Yeah. I mean, it’s solid. It’s solid, but I mean, it ain’t like I’m looking at them and they like a juggernaut. Well, no, I wasn’t looking at them like that either. I mean, it’s all on Wim though, you know, and they in a lot of ways they got they got a Hulk, you know what I’m saying? Wimi is uh if he have MVP alien. Yeah, that’s what they call him. If he got a MVP type season, you know what I’m saying? And sky’s is the limit. Definitely. I’m just saying everybody has their uh their holes or ways where I could see them not being as successful as everybody think. Three teams to me just just ain’t no hole. You got Dallas, you got OKC, and you got Houston. Uh, and them three teams, I think even if somebody goes down, like, you know, they’re still gonna be able to win at a high level. And I guess you I’m not sold on Memphis still doing that, this new collection, but you know, normally it would be built like that. Uh, the Clippers are injury away, a injury away. And we don’t know how they going to look without Michael Porter Jr. think they probably going to look. They got Cam Johnson traded. They traded uh Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson, right? But I’m saying we think they going to look better, but we ain’t never seen him play. I don’t know. I I think we ain’t never seen Houston play either, right? But I mean, it is KD. He’s probably the most plug and I’m just saying we haven’t Look, DC, we haven’t seen none of these teams play. Look how extreme you going. You going from Cam Johnson to K. I’m just making a point of you know, everybody’s got going on. The Lakers, you know, to me, they ain’t do anything impressive, but I mean, they still got Hey, they got they got uh they got uh dominating dominating. [Music] I forgot they got him. I told you DC, remember we were talking? Ain’t no move the needle. I told you they still need another big with him. You know, gonna probably pick him up. You got a collection of good teams and everything is just up for grabs, you know? It’s almost like a rat race, man. You You don’t know how it’s going to turn out. Looking at that, I can’t I can’t count us out. I mean, yeah. I mean, we just we get Look, Pelicans get a better coach. Hey, man. We got some team numbers on this. The Pelicans got something all of a sudden. I mean, obviously, you got to get the right one. Golly Lee, man. I mean, that that that makes a huge difference. It makes a huge difference when you got a jug when you got juggernaut talent and then you got a juggernaut coach who can who knows how to put the talent together. I mean it it just it makes a difference man. It’s like, you know, you know, that’s why, you know, looking, that’s that’s one thing looking at Dallas, looking at Houston, it’s one thing to make them dangerous because look at the coaching. You know, we saw that video of Ema Udoka, you know, he was he was uh he was sparring um uh sparring training with uh Vanle, you know what I’m saying? It’s like, golly, that that’s what the Pelicans need. Like, how come somebody get Zion or something? You know what I’m saying? He made you do good spawn with Zion, man. Let me tell you something, man. That’s that’s a beautiful scene right there. It really is. Golly. Hey, the Pelicans could use some of that for real. Definitely. You know, you you you got you got a lot that’s still up for grabs even even with all that leg on even with the Rockets. Like it’s still going to be a transition for a short period for them integrating Kevin Durant. You know what I’m saying? So many different different things. But I mean, you look at the West and I get it. 68 wins, 52 wins, 50 wins, 50 wins, 50 wins, 49 wins, 48 wins, 48 wins. I get it. I get it. But somebody on this list, I’m just looking for one or two teams to not be at the level that they were last year in the Pelican slot. I don’t know who that is, but a couple of teams up here for whatever reason, we we seem to be able to beat when we’re at our best. You know, we we can beat um Minnesota. Like we pretty much got their number. You know what I’m saying? Same thing with the Clippers. Clippers. Yeah, we always get the Clippers. We We put up a good little fight. I don’t know. They got Lopez now. They picked up Lopez. He’s probably gonna be playing to pair to pair with uh Zubash. No, they got uh they got Collins. So Oh, yeah. They got Collins. Golly, they stack. Yeah, they they Yeah, they beefed up. They stacked. But you know, and they got Bradley Bill. But my thing is this. That wasn’t really notable, but I get what you’re saying. I just I’ve seen this this movie so many times. You know, we looked at Brooklyn and it was stacked too, you know, older players that were good and that didn’t No, I was saying like you you were saying like teams that uh Pelicans had their number. I said, but then I went on to say that they added the the player the different players that they added. But, you know, I I get what you’re saying. But yeah, I was just talking they got two too many. They they one of them teams to me they got too many names but you know Tyl probably can figure it out. He’s a real good coach but they they got just like they ain’t enough basketballs man. You got James Harden Brley Bill Kawhai Guy Collins. They got Zubash and they got uh Lopez. I guess Lopez was surprised that they got rid of and all them guys. I was about to say Colin Pal, but that ain’t his name. But Pal. They traded Yeah, they traded him to Miami. I was like dang, man. Why’ y’all get rid of Pal? They flipped him for uh for Bill, but I I mean the way Bill played with Phoenix, he he ain’t have a point. He have James Harden a lot better than point. So I don’t know how Bradley Bill look though. Um uh Stacy had a question. What is our NC tournament group? I know the Clippers and uh the Lakers are in it. I think Dallas is is in there too. Dallas. Uh I think Denver too, right? I hope not. Lord Jesus. You know they go politics. I I don’t uh I know these three teams are definitely in it though, Stacy. Um that would be dope if we could win the NC tournament. You know what? Who is Willie still gonna be? I said that would be dope if we can win it next. That would be super dope. Oh wow. He might have to play. All right, DC, we got to go, man. I got a eight o’clock game. Oh girl, you still up there talking? Yes, I got a 8:00 game on tomorrow. All right. Well, on that note, we going to go ahead and wrap it up. You know what I’m saying? Uh, Big Q left, little chicken. I saw you leave. He fell asleep. I can’t even go to the media stuff to close out the show, man. I stuff in here. But uh anyway, on that note, Pells wrap up the summer league, you know, and they uh Oh, win five. They didn’t do they didn’t do very well from a win perspective. We still have a chance to put a W in the win column for uh the acquisitions that we made in the draft. both our guys showed up and they showed flashes and we would like to see them to continue to build on that going into the preseason and then uh we can actually start to get idea of what this will look like you know once we actually visit live game action again for a while in the not so far away future but not so close in October. So you got us here breaking it down. Rain sle snow BBQ and Lex. Please like, share, and subscribe to the show. We going to always be here for y’all family. Uh I really didn’t want to do the show tonight. X had a game be cute and fell asleep, but we here. So next time we uh we do this, hopefully we got some better news to bring to y’all than 0 and five. Smash the like button like you want to punch Willie in the face. There you go. Hold up. Let me see where Let me see if I still got it. Oh, damn. It ain’t up there. I was gonna put the pitch up and back up there looking all stupid next to No, no. Summerly playoffs, Tamal. Okay. 0 and5. 0 and5. No.
The West is STACKED — and the New Orleans Pelicans are fighting to stay afloat. 🧗 Big Q, DC, and Lexxah tackle the hard truth about the team’s playoff chances, injury concerns, roster depth, and whether Willie Green can lead this squad through the fire. Can the Pels survive the pressure and rise?
👉 Please subscribe, like & share the show’s link!
📌 Stay Connected with The Who Dat Nation:
🏟️ The Who Dat Daily: https://www.thewhodatdaily.com
💬 Support Our Network: https://linktr.ee/thepromedianetwork
📱 Save on Mobile Coverage: http://trymintmobile.com/pelican
🛒 Skin Care for Men: https://bit.ly/3y9GYRz
🛡️ ID Protection: https://get.optery.com/g98c6js0xl0i
#Pelicans2025 #NBAWesternConference #ZionWilliamson #WillieGreen #NOLABasketball #PelicansStruggle