LIVE: Pelicans at Raptors Pregame w/ Willie Green 3/5/2024

LIVE: Pelicans at Raptors Pregame w/ Willie Green 3/5/2024

Bi seems to be on a tear lately um obviously huge game versus the Pacers and then he set his season High versus this squad back at home a few months ago what have you liked best out of his play since Christmas he’s been playing really forceful uh to start games you can see

Right away that he’s locked in and he’s rebounding the ball initiating the break his defense has been really solid so we expect much of the same obviously we know Toronto is going to probably mix up some coverages on him last game they started to trap him in pick and roll so

Uh for him it’s about just continuing to be aggressive but but continue to read the game and that first meeting went very well for y’all but since then RJ Barrett and Manuel quickley they seem to be finding a rhythm in a Groove what do you think’s different about this Raptor

Squad for this matchup for you all no matter what they’re going to step on the floor and play hard play together I know Darko well we we were together in Phoenix he’s uh this team is well coached and you know we we expect that when we step on the floor it’s going to

Be challenging and these are the games that you got to lock into your execution there’s a team that likes to run the number one in Fast Break points what’s the key to transition defense for you guys taking care of the ball number one is key for us no live ball turnovers

That ignites their break making sure that we take really good shots quality shots every time down the floor search for that when you’re taking quality shots and you taking care of the basketball it allows you to get back in transition and take away some of those

Easy baskets this this is the sixth time you’re going to see Kelly oen this year um he’s been an issue he always has been why is he so such a tough competitor and such a good player well he like you said graph he’s a competitor number one and

Then his size and his versatility his ability to be able to play different positions on offense when you switch screens he can take you down to the post things like that so we’re going to definitely have to be aware of him on the floor coach uh yeah

A question not related to to the game about Billy and Gomez I ask you about about him because mylet is from Barcelona and he’s playing in Barcelona right now uh well he he’s playing very well uh now but why do you think that he never got a consistent role on on on the

NBA and why do you think he wasn’t able to to keep playing in the in the NBA we we love Billy we loved our time um with him and I think I speak for the whole organization and his teammates is that Billy was great he was fantastic to be

Around extremely hard worker and dedicated to his Craft um you know that’s kind of the way the NBA is sometimes sometimes you know you don’t necessarily have the role that you want to and you know we we wish him the best we wish him much much success and everything that he’s doing moving

Forward but uh Billy was he was great for us and we enjoyed having him on our team every time he stepped on the floor he provided a spark for us what is the thing that are you missing the the most from from him what what is the thing

That are you missing the most from him because he wrote Jo Jo uh yeah he was was great as a as a teammate but he l in the locker room but he was very officient the floor so what is the thing that you’re Miss we’re missing all of

Those things all all of the above but uh it it was his Joy the joy that he brought to the game to the locker room to our staff our organization and you know he carried that everywhere he went and and that’s why when you talk

About his name and you bring him up he he’s loved in in many NBA circles thank you when you when you look at Zion and you know there’s going to be people in the building that never seen him play before uh what what is he going to what kind of

Show can he put on what what should they be looking for you’re arguably you you’re watching one of um the best players in the game and he’s a competitor uh I haven’t seen anybody like him that with his size and strength and his ability that can move the way he

Does and uh it’s always exciting when he steps on the floor so I think the fans can anticipate um Zion putting on the show as far as in the regular season when you’re playing m it’s a matchup based game let’s say you guys play better drop defense with theonis in and

Let’s say there’s a team that plays good pick and roll offense against drop defense how often do those things converge and make you change your approach and how often do you say like we just have to work on what we do best and move forward with that package yeah

You know it’s the NBA is all about for me having a having a great Foundation defensively um and this is maybe package 1 a is like you said it could be Jonas in a pick and roll and he’s up to touch or Corral and then working on one B 1C

Having adjustments that you can go to at the drop of a dime because teams will make adjustments throughout the course of the game and um when you can have those different variations of your defense it allows you to be that much better coach can you talk about Point Z

Him initiating the offense how important it this to your rotation say it again how important is this to your rotation him initiating the offense Point Zion yeah you you know it’s kind of what he is is he he’s a forward but he he plays point guard and Zion’s great he’s great

At reading the defense his passing ability his ability to initiate plays when he sees something he’ll attack if not he’ll get off the ball trust his teammates so we feel very comfortable putting the ball in his hands but as I mentioned throughout the course of the season when he comes out

The game you know now the ball will be in CJ Brandon’s hands more and we have a luxury of having multiple guys that can handle the ball okay thank you

Toronto Raptors vs. New Orleans Pelicans pregame interview with head coach Willie Green ahead of their game on Tuesday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m. CT during the 2023-24 NBA season.
#NBA #Pelicans #neworleanspelicans

New Orleans Pelicans Roster
———————————————–
Jose Alvarado #15 Guard
Dyson Daniels #11 Guard
Jordan Hawkins #24 Guard
Brandon Ingram #14 Forward
Herbert Jones #5 Forward
E.J. Liddell #32 Forward
Naji Marshall #8 Forward
CJ McCollum #3 Guard
Trey Murphy III #25 Guard
Larry Nance Jr. #22 Forward
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl #50 Forward
Dereon Seabron #0 Guard
Jonas Valanciunas #17 Center
Zion Williamson #1 Forward
Cody Zeller #44 Forward-Center

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