Since arriving in Louisiana two years ago, Willie Green has experienced both heads and tails of the play-in. Qualified in extremis by beating the Clippers for eighth place in 2022, the Pelicans failed last year at the foot of the playoffs, eliminated by the Thunder, themselves eliminated by the Wolves, for another bitter end to the season…
Still weighed down by injuries to Zion Williamson, the New Orleans franchise disappointed despite a solid workforce behind CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas, and the rising figures Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones (even Jose Alvarado). Enough to come back with saliva on your lips!
“We are determined! “, confirms CJ McCollum in the first episode of the third season of the series The Squad produced by the Pels franchise. “The guys know a little better now what it means to achieve success, knowing that we had several successes last year but that we also experienced failure. The guys are hungry and determined to do better than last year. »
“We have unfinished business!” »
To do this, GM David Griffin was able to curb his desire to destroy everything in the heart of a rather crazy “free agency” to preserve the backbone of the workforce. To give the Williamson – Ingram – McCollum trident one last chance?
“The stability of our squad is what excites me for this season,” whispers Willie Green. “We kept most of our players. We have unfinished business! I think our group is hungry to take another step in the right direction. We can’t wait to get back on track! »
As the coach can rely on two All-Stars, promising young talents, but also confirmed veterans, New Orleans has a sufficiently dense workforce to hold its own in the Western Conference. Even more so if the attitude is there…
“We want to play hard”, adds Herb Jones. “Everyone has something to prove. We have to be mentally strong to prove our worth night after night. »
“Are we progressing in these moments when no one is looking at us? »
All gathered during the training camp but also during the “media day”, CJ McCollum’s teammates are also banking on understanding within the group to progress.
Bonds are also built off the field and the Pelicans were thus treated to a timeless moment. A pure “made in Louisiana” moment, with a brass band and a piece of Jazz in the Vieux Carré, the French quarter of New Orleans, not far from Preservation Hall, a legendary monument of the city.
“These dinners [et ces moments tous ensemble en début de saison] are money set aside”, compares Willie Green. “When we are on the field fighting to win matches, we will sometimes have to go to the wicket to withdraw some cash. And we want the funds to be there [toute la saison]. »
For the first year of Zion Williamson’s five-year contract extension, the Pelicans must qualify for the playoffs. To do more than make up… Any other result would be a new snub, and that requires rehearsals and sometimes boring sessions away from view.
“Are we progressing in these moments when no one is looking at us? “, concludes veteran CJ McCollum. “ When we play five against zero, it’s not important a priori. But this is where we need to build good habits. Properly place a screen. When to put the screen down. Return the throws. Make delay screens. Help in defense. It is in these moments that we must realize our progress. »
