Two games with two very difference results highlight the importance that Zion Williamson has for the New Orleans Pelicans. Jake Madison breaks down how the Pels got the tough win over the Los Angeles Clippers with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard but lost to the Utah Jazz with only Brandon Ingram playing. Plus, Jake then looks at how the Pelicans are using the dreaded Load Management with Zion.
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41 Comments
I don't agree with healthy players getting so many rest days. You couldn't ask a Kobe or Jordan to sit out just because
It hurts the other players to load manage Zion every back to back. CJ is a good example of having to play more minutes and gets a lung injury. It happened on a night Zion was sitting.
Nance shouldn't be getting minutes right now. He hurts the team. We should play zeller over him for sure
Everyone but idiot BI fans knows Zion is by far the most important part of the team
This is not about Zion, this is all about our game attitude!
Folks tend to forget we leaned hard on Zion last season, which led to his injury. Giving him a breather on back-to-back game days is a savvy move. We can handle a few losses without him some nights, but we can't afford him getting injured again.
Letter to Zion, please leave New Orleans and go somewhere where the fanbase know the value of a superstar. You will just be on a short list of players like Anthony Davis that is not appreciated until they are gone. You would think that they have learned their lesson. Please get out now!
Zion does not need o rest. Zion needs to play 7 days a week to get in top shape. Zion does not play any pickup ball like he did when he was young, and that is the problem. Zion needs to be balling in the Drew League. My question is, what is taking management so long to bring Murphy back? He is doing reverse dunks with eased.
We GON REST OUR SELVES RIGHT INTO THAT DUM AZZ 10 th seed …..
We have to question Willi’s coaching at some point. Blowing leads also has to fall on our head coach. Can James and Willi just swap coaching duties? Feel like Willi would be a really good assistant coach.
I think it has more to do with trey, and cj being out than it has to do with Zion not playing
Good analysts Jake ,my take is that it is very very important for Herb to go into half time with only 2 fouls
Excuses, excuses. BI is supposed to be a superstar. He should have been able to beat the Jazz by himself. That’s what a superstar does.
Apparently, wins don't mean enough to the Pelicans to get Old Lard A$$ on the court. Is this going to be a season long thing of no back to backs for Zion.
Your correct about not playing Zion for few minutes, Another take is star players are concerned about scoring averages . This would hurt personal goals
This teams cowardice will keep them from being a legit top 6 seed this season. This was what? The 2nd time Zion was a healthy scratch on the 2nd night night of a back to back? Both close losses Zion probably makes the difference in. Playing Zion 20-25 minutes does not tangibly make him more likelt to get injured than not. There is zero evidence load management actually works. So all you are accomplishing is hurting your own team. Until the pels grow a pair, they're going nowhete.
The loss is not about Zion, Its about willie green blowing leads, his terrible rotation and not using fresh legs in a back
From the start of this game against UTAH, there were a lot of sorry misses. Be it fatigue but still, we should have shown our usual energetic gameplay. Violence was missing.
i dont like this load management for zion at all. its weird. he is the only player they are doing this for. if he were older, i still would not like it. but at least i might understand. that man is young and needs to play so he can get better. does zion have a choice in this or do they decide for him?
Well I think its moe about having key players on the court … as the Pens have also lost when Zion played and Ingram was out ( as they did when they lost by 30 to GS with Zion in and Ingram out )
We lost because we rested our star player that had one of the best games this season against the clippers. Here you go Utah, here’s a win, we prefer rest over winning to a bunch a bums.😒
when CJ is out you also rest Zion for back to back games…& your coach is always making dumb decision…sigh~BI still play good but you can't play him 48 minutes a game…
Zion is under 24 years old but needs load management on a so call back to back…
What’s Zion record with out BI on a back to back.. wait Zion don’t play back to backs…..
Stephen A Smith ???
Daniels is terrible. 3 0f 14 from the field and 5 turn overs.
What's with Zion who sat out to rest 2 out of 16 games? I've been following NBA basketball for 60 years and don't recall anything like this.
Lol the pels have made it to the play offs without Zion
Sure he certainly helps
But he’s not the best player in this team
BI is this teams best player easily we saw it in the suns series
Has nothing to do with Zion, but predictable that this is the narrative, it has everything to do with fatigue from the second night of a back to back where the Pels played hard and had to travel to Salt lake and play the next day, they should have beaten this team and were, until the fatigue set in and they couldn't buy a bucket. Not a big deal at all and don't believe the Zion narrative, he would have been just as fatigued in the second half if he played. This loss is not a big deal, anyone could see that we are are much better team then the Jazz and we should dominate them hard next game.
Zion not playing back to back games has NOTHING to do with us losing to Utah. We had the game won and we started doing dumb stuff like not playing defense, missing free throws, not winning the 50/50 balls in rebounding and not moving the ball
How many PTO days does Zion have this season?
Why are the Pelicans using Dyson as a semi point guard? He can't dribble out of trouble & picks up his dribble to much?
Absolute joke the people protecting Z. Does everyone else get a break on the back end of a back to back? Why the hell is he special? Because he might break? Let's just let the G League team play the back end of the back to backs.
Jake I really think he is being selfish.
We need 65 games to get the Micheal Jordan MVP
Willie Green is hurting this team. When James coached in Willie's absence the Pels grabbed the lead and never let off the gas. Willie's style lets teams off the hook and it makes for dog fights down the stretch after losing big leads.
LOL
Regarding starting lineup, as long as this group of guys (with Z in it) keeps winning, I wouldn't put CJ back in as a starter. It's obviously working having strong defense at the start of the game!
He’s fucking 23! This will only get worse with time.
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