<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/hawks-news-larry-nance-jr-awards-dyson-daniels-perfect-defensive-nickname');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. awards Dyson Daniels with perfect defensive nickname');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Bill-OBriens-honest-admission-after-making-QB-move.jpg"></figure><h1>Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. awards Dyson Daniels with perfect defensive nickname</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-14T11:38:54-08:00">November 14th, 11:38am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-14T11:38:54-08:00">November 14th, 11:38am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Tuesday evening, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-trae-young-gives-mf-shoutout-to-injury-replacement-as-atlanta-stuns-celtics">Atlanta Hawks pulled off the biggest upset of the young NBA season</a> by knocking off the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics on the road without Trae Young and several other key pieces in the lineup. The game featured a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-dyson-daniels-defensive-feat-fuels-early-awards-watch">breakout performance from newly acquired wing Dyson Daniels</a>, who scored 28 points and also registered his third straight game with at least six steals, a category he leads the NBA by a country mile so far this year.</p><p>At Hawks practice on Thursday, Daniels’ own teammate Larry Nance Jr., who was sent to Atlanta along with Daniels in exchange for Dejounte Murray this offseason, lined up along with reporters for his press conference and gave him <a href="https://x.com/KLChouinard/status/1857123088824992085" rel="noopener">a perfect nickname</a> for his defensive prowess: The Great Barrier Thief (per Kevin Chouinard on X, formerly Twitter).</p><p>This of course refers to Daniels’ Australian heritage as well as his skills on the defensive side of the court, where he has quickly turned himself into one of the NBA’s elites.</p><h2><b>A breakout start to the season</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Daniels-celebrates.jpg"><figcaption>David Butler II-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>When the Hawks traded Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans this offseason, many treated Dyson Daniels as an afterthought in the deal considering that he hadn’t been able to get consistent minutes in the Pelicans’ rotation throughout the first couple of years of his career.</p><p>However, Daniels is quickly proving that he has all of the tools necessary to be an elite two-way wing in the NBA, constantly taking Jayson Tatum out of his comfort zone on Tuesday in Boston while also having an impressive game on offense both in terms of shooting and facilitating.</p><p>In order to truly break into the type of player that the Hawks are hoping he will, Daniels will need to continue to improve his three point shooting, which has hovered around 30 percent throughout his career. However, at just 21 years of age, there is plenty of time for that number to skyrocket, while his defense–which is already among the best in the NBA–can also continue to expand.</p><p>Combine Daniels’ breakout start to the season along with increased production from Jalen Johnson and some flashes from number one overall pick Zaccharie Risacher, and the Hawks have a trio of young wings who could form the makings of a new young core, even if Trae Young is no longer part of the franchise’s long term plans.</p><p>The Hawks will next take the floor on Friday evening vs the Washington Wizards.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hawks’ Larry Nance Jr. awards Dyson Daniels with perfect defensive nickname

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/why-pelicans-already-have-larry-nance-jr-replacement');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Pelicans already have Larry Nance Jr.’s replacement');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Why-Pelicans-already-have-Larry-Nance-Jr.s-replacement.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Pelicans already have Larry Nance Jr.’s replacement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-24T12:47:32-07:00">September 24th, 12:47pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-24T12:48:08-07:00">September 24th, 12:48pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans have had Zion Williamson in the building since the 2019 NBA Draft but are still looking for an identity. A crucial part of that process has involved finding the right big men to fit around the All-Star in the rotations. Larry Nance Jr. looked the part over the last two seasons but had to be sacrificed so the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-dejounte-murray-upgrade-depends-perspective">Pelicans could acquire Dejounte Murray.</a> Thankfully, a late summer Pelicans training camp might have unearthed a diamond in the rough replacement in Karlo Matkovic.</p><p>Injury setbacks derailed the first trip to Las Vegas but never phased the 23-year-old’s resolve to make the New Orleans roster. Matkovic, the 52nd overall pick in 2022, has shown significant growth and potential since being<a href="https://x.com/DoingItDodson/status/1540023856295026688" rel="noopener"> draft-and-stashed</a> by New Orleans. The progression from European competitions to G-League action was undeniable for anyone keeping track.</p><p>It was easy to see the Croatian becoming a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/karlo-matkovic-answering-pelicans-closing-center-question">valuable, mismatch-creating asset for the Pelicans</a> after the 6-11 big man dominated the 2024 NBA Summer League runs for long stretches. Dennis Scott was <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1813435983926378793" rel="noopener">scouting the excited reactions</a> of Willie Green amid a 10-12 shooting showcase.</p><p>“If you didn’t know about him before this game, you know about him now…Willie Green is over there taking notes saying I see how I can use him, I see how he can help us win ball games.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Another big-time lob for Matkovic!</p><p>He's got 23 points on 10-12 shooting… watch the final minutes on NBA TV 👀 <a href="https://t.co/FhtRybIcYZ">https://t.co/FhtRybIcYZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/On41UyrwJh">pic.twitter.com/On41UyrwJh</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1813428625401655640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Nance Jr.’s contributions should not be diminished. The respected veteran was a locker room leader who could be counted on to do the dirty work when available. Nance Jr. ($11.2m) averaged 5.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game last season. Still, Matkovic ($1.4m) should be able to match that production with more upside and at a cheaper salary cap hit.</p><p>Matkovic averaged 15.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game across all competitions with Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (Slovenia) last season. He was putting up approximately 17 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in 31 minutes per game with the Squadron. Then came the sensational Summer League showcase and a three-year guaranteed NBA deal.</p><h2><b>Karlo Matkovic is money found for Pelicans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Karlo-Matkovic-on-a-scale-that-says-255-pounds.-On-another-scale-is-a-pot-of-gold-with-a-9-million-price-tag.-The-article-mentions-Karlo-being-worth-his-weight-in-gold.jpg"></figure><p>Tracking Matkovic took more time and patience than money but it is paying off now. Several reports of an impressive Matkovic came out of the team’s voluntary, player-led training camp in California. It’s something some have <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1796241469247811688" rel="noopener">seen coming for a while</a>, especially the Nance Jr. replacement part.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Multiple sources within Org have said/replied during our conversations that Karlo is more of a Larry 4 replacement instead of a JV 5.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pelicans?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pelicans</a> <a href="https://t.co/I6t58vYIVx">https://t.co/I6t58vYIVx</a></p><p>— Dodson, Chris Dodson (@DoingItDodson) <a href="https://twitter.com/DoingItDodson/status/1796241469247811688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The same scouting department that bet on Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, Naji Marshall, and Jose Alvarado approved of Matkovic. His per-100 possession stats lend more evidence to the argument that Matkovic should play 10-12 meaningful minutes per night. He can be used in the same actions, has better height, is deceptively athletic, and again, comes at a big discount. The front office saved almost $10 million in this move and might have upgraded at the position.</p><p>Slightly lower stat totals should not dissuade Green from giving Matkovic room to grow. Fans should expect to see a lot of Matkovic around town even if there are a few DNP-CDs on the scorecard. He is too cheap to be of much use in the trade market but could be worth his weight in gold to head coach Willie Green. At 255 pounds, that is about $9 million give or take.</p><p>So, yes, the Pelicans could be getting top-dollar MLE money production from a near-minimum draft and stash curiosity. Even the toughest critics have to admit that is good business from EVP David Griffin’s Pelicans.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Pelicans already have Larry Nance Jr.’s replacement

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-news-larry-nance-jr-chimes-in-la-coaching-search-after-missing-out-dan-hurley');   ga('set', 'title', 'Larry Nance Jr. chimes in on Lakers’ coaching search after missing out on Dan Hurley');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Larry-Nance-Jr.-chimes-in-on-LA-coaching-search-after-missing-out-on-Dan-Hurley.jpg"></figure><h1>Larry Nance Jr. chimes in on Lakers’ coaching search after missing out on Dan Hurley</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-13T10:59:11-07:00">June 13th, 10:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-13T12:13:50-07:00">June 13th, 12:13pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of one of their roughest off-seasons in recent memory. After striking out on UConn boss Dan Hurley to fill their head coaching vacancy, the team may turn to NBA retiree <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-jj-redick-in-line-become-lakers-coach-after-dan-hurley-debacle-on-1-condition">JJ Redick, who’s never coached</a> at any level.</p><p>New Orleans Pelicans forward and former Laker Larry Nance Jr. <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1801300414068850839" rel="noopener">weighed in on</a> the NBA’s hottest non-Finals storyline, via FanDuel TV’s <i>Run It Back</i>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I think a first time head coach is not the answer… You probably need an established coach."</p><p>Larry Nance Jr. shares his thoughts on the Lakers head coaching search 👀</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/RunItBackFDTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RunItBackFDTV</a>)<a href="https://t.co/6WqDDAhbe1">pic.twitter.com/6WqDDAhbe1</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1801300414068850839?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Personally, I think a first-time head coach is not the answer,” Nance said. “The LA market is really hard if you’ve never dealt with something like that before. If you miss a shot, you’re the next fill-in-the-blank. If you miss a shot, you should’ve never picked up a basketball in your life. It’s tough, I think you’d probably need an established coach, but I can’t necessarily put a name out there for that. You need someone with some clout.”</p><p>While Nance has a valid point, there aren’t many former or current head coaches left to pick from. Pelicans assistant James Borrego, who led the Charlotte Hornets for four years, is the only name left in the rumor mill that’s held the big chair before. However, he’s also been rumored to be a frontrunner for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coaching gig. If Los Angeles doesn’t land him, their pick will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-brian-windhorst-jj-redick-lebron-james-interview">most likely be Redick</a>, Celtics assistant Sam Cassell, or Nuggets assistant David Adelman, none of whom have been the head honcho before.</p><p>Nance was also asked if he thought LeBron James would be a good player-coach.</p><p>“I’m gonna say no, because a lot of times, the very best have a hard time teaching others how to do something because it comes naturally to them,” Nance continued. “There are certain times a coach will have to explain something. ‘Bron, I’m not saying he’s done this before, but there are certain times he’ll have to explain something, and it’s like ‘I just don’t understand how you don’t get that. Why can’t you just take the ball, take two dribbles and dunk on their bigs, like just do it.’ You need someone that wasn’t the greatest player ever. Somebody with experience…I actually thought Vogel was really good for them when they had him, but you know…”</p><p>Is Nance right, or would the Lake Show be fine with a first-time locker room leader?</p><h2><b>Nance is on the money, and the Lakers should listen</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Pelicans-Larry-Nance-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>© Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>While Nance couldn’t think of a name off the top of his head, Borrego is the best candidate according to his criteria. Luckily for Los Angeles, he appears to <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/lakers-coaching-search-james-borrego-considered-a-leading-candidate-after-dan-hurley-passed-per-report/" rel="noopener">still be considering the job</a>, via CBS Sports. The 46-year-old interviewed twice for the position.</p><p>Even if the Lakers don’t land Borrego, they’d still be better off with Cassell or Adelman than Redick. Having years of assistant experience is a reasonable way to work up to a high-pressure head coaching job. Playing in the league and then working for ESPN, however, is not. Los Angeles will risk losing its credibility as an organization if they hire someone completely unqualified.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Larry Nance Jr. chimes in on Lakers’ coaching search after missing out on Dan Hurley

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/4-low-key-moves-pelicans-cash-in-larry-nance-jr');   ga('set', 'title', '4 low-key Pelicans trades to cash in on Larry Nance Jr.');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/4-moves-for-Pelicans-to-cash-in-on-Larry-Nance-Jr.jpg"></figure><h1>4 low-key Pelicans trades to cash in on Larry Nance Jr.</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-05-20T15:41:18-07:00">May 20th, 3:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-05-20T15:41:18-07:00">May 20th, 3:41pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Smart front offices find ways to squeeze every drop of value out of every single asset that passes through the building. It is the only way for small-market teams allergic to the luxury tax to stay competitive. The New Orleans Pelicans are getting squeezed out of the Western Conference’s top-six conversation by the day though. That’s why EVP David Griffin has got to start exploring every opportunity to cash in on Larry Nance Jr. this offseason.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-trade-proposal-land-jarrett-allen-jonas-valanciunas-replacement">Pelicans could get their new</a> center sorted out with the Nets. However, Nicolas Claxton has to agree to a contract extension that starts under $20 million in the first season for this scenario to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/5-dyson-daniels-trades-pelicans-must-consider-this-offseason">work without including Dyson Daniels.</a> Nance Jr. and E.J. Liddell work financially if Claxton is at $18.5 million for three or four years with 8% raises year-over-year.</p><p>Deni Avdija (Washington Wizards) would be a nice 23-year-old replacement for Brandon Ingram. However, that deal would require significant draft capital from New Orleans. That’s a deal breaker for Avdija. Likewise, the Los Angeles Lakers are not giving up on Austin Reaves, though they’d at least have to say ‘no’ to a deal including Nance Jr. and their draft picks back.</p><p>So what are the other options for getting a return out of the Nance Jr. investment?</p><h2>Knicks need new blood</h2><p><b>Mitchell Robinson</b> seems to be more surplus than requirement in New York following Isaiah Hartenstein’s NBA Playoffs breakout performance. Julius Randle is already entrenched with the Madison Square Garden crowds and is under contract for another three seasons.</p><p>Robinson is the odd man out and the Pelicans should be in the bidding wars. He averaged 5.6 points and 8.5 rebounds in 31 regular-season games before suffering a season-ending ankle injury that <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/40140749/knicks-mitchell-robinson-ankle-surgery-sources-say">eventually required surgery</a>.</p><h2>Cashing in with the Cavaliers</h2><p><b>Evan Mobley</b> is going to need a new contract. However, Nance Jr. and Mobley can currently be swapped straight up financially. The draft compensation is where the Pelicans have to draw the line. Cleveland will have to balance any inquiries with Mobley’s emotions as the two sides try to hash out a near-max-level contract extension.</p><h2>Making waves with the Magic</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Larry-Nance-Jr.-looks-on-in-despair-as-the-Pelicans-are-swept-out-of-the-NBA-Playoffs.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p><b>Wendell Carter Jr.</b> did well against the twin tower pairing of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley in the NBA Playoffs. Unfortunately, he will also be undergoing hand surgery this summer as well.</p><p>Carter Jr. was a target at the last trade deadline and the Magic are still likely to make some big roster-shuffling moves over the next few months. Carter Jr.’s value remains steady, and so does a deal involving Nance Jr.</p><h2>Slick talks with the 76ers</h2><p>The Philadelphia 76ers did not fare well when Joel Embiid took a rest during the NBA Playoffs. The 76ers were played off the court when the former NBA MVP took a seat. However, that cannot all be blamed on <b>Paul Reed</b>, right? The 26-year-old played all 82 games to help Philadelphia limp into the postseason.</p><p>Reed averaged a respectable 7.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.8 steals this season. He shot 54% from the field, 36.8% from three-point range, and hit 71.8% from the free throw line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

4 low-key Pelicans trades to cash in on Larry Nance Jr.

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-larry-nance-jr-bringing-nfl-draft-energy-to-nba-playoffs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. bringing NFL Draft energy to NBA Playoffs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Larry-Nance-Jr-1.jpg"><figcaption>4/23/24</figcaption></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. bringing NFL Draft energy to NBA Playoffs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-04-23T18:08:34-07:00">April 23rd, 6:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-04-23T18:08:34-07:00">April 23rd, 6:08pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a New Orleans Pelicans beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There will be a lot of scouting tape getting watched this weekend in the Crescent City. Whether a fan or a front office employee, there is plenty of film to comb over this April. The New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder’s first-round <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/tag/nba-playoffs">NBA Playoffs</a> series will overlap with the 2024 NFL Draft. The best part for Willie Green is at least one Big Easy basketball player does not mind mixing a bit of football into the action on the hardwood.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-no-adjustments-needed-after-game-1-loss-thunder">Pelicans are making small adjustments</a> going into Game 2, the biggest of which might be getting used to the new level of physicality allowed. Brandon Ingram is preparing for Lu Dort’s dogged isolation defense. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can expect less time with Herb Jones switched onto anyone else. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-zion-williamson-shares-injury-status-update-amid-playoff-series">Zion Williamson might return</a> sooner rather than later.</p><p>This Pelicans-Thunder, gladiator-style matchup is already electric and it’s just getting started. Larry Nance Jr. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy6wA562nIY" rel="noopener">couldn’t help but smile</a> when talking about the freedom to play purist basketball during a Game 1 loss to the Thunder.</p><p>“Oh! This is basketball,” Nance smirked, commenting on increased physicality of the postseason. “I think last game it took me a half to react, to figure out what are they going to call. What are they not going to call and let go? Then in the second half, it was football. And I loved it. Oh man, I loved it. But this is how basketball is supposed to be played I feel.</p><p>“Obviously, the minuscule contact type stuff with guys throwing their heads back are not getting called as much,” he continued. “Even from watching the (other NBA Playoffs games), every game going forward is really fun and competitive. I’m a fan of it. I wish we could keep it like this all year long.”</p><h2><b>Pelicans playing through pain to stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Larry-Nance-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Playing through contact is an easy adjustment. Stopping Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an entirely different headache.</p><p>“Shai and OKC present a different challenge than most teams. Most star guys, most MVP candidates, when they are hunting a switch are probably going to want a big. As for Shai, he’s shown he’s targeting our guards,” Nance revealed. “That presents a different challenge than most teams. We’ve worked on different coverages. We’ve worked on different options but that’s what sets them apart from other teams and frustrates teams…I think it’s good that it’s a seven-game series and we get to a chance to react to some of the punches they’ve thrown.”</p><p>It’s 2nd-and-9 in football parlance for the Pelicans. Nance and company got a yard’s worth of a moral victory in a <a href="https://www.nba.com/game/nop-vs-okc-0042300141/box-score#box-score" rel="noopener">94-92</a> Game 1 defeat. New Orleans has to get a win in Game 2. Anything less means Green’s group will have their backs against the wall in Game 3. A loss there could lead to a lot of local fans punting on Game 4 at Smoothie King Center with Jazz Fest at full blare.</p><p>Still, Nance is not worried about any Willie Green-led locker room, especially not after losing a close game to the Western Conference’s top-seeded Thunder. The Pelicans will lean on the high-character traits that got them this far and let the cards fall where they may.</p><p>“It’s resiliency. Since Willie got here that’s been the story of this team. They started 1-12 and then it’s been a kind of steady improvement. There’s been ebbs and flows but it’s been steady improvement,” Nance said. “That’s the story of this year’s team. Yeah, we lost a tough one but…we’re not over-reacting. We feel good about the position we are in, giving up 94 points to a team on their home court should be enough for a win. We hit a few more shots we’ll be in a better position. We’re fine.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. bringing NFL Draft energy to NBA Playoffs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-banned-jontay-porter-larry-nance-stray-betting');   ga('set', 'title', 'Banned Jontay Porter catches Larry Nance stray over hilarious Pelicans betting remarks');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Banned-Jontay-Porter-catches-Larry-Nance-stray-over-hilarious-New-Orleans-betting-remarks.jpg"></figure><h1>Banned Jontay Porter catches Larry Nance stray over hilarious Pelicans betting remarks</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-04-20T06:56:25-07:00">April 20th, 6:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-04-20T06:56:25-07:00">April 20th, 6:56am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After his New Orleans <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kings-most-to-blame-in-shock-play-in-loss-to-zion-williamson-less-pelicans">Pelicans defeated the Sacramento Kings</a> in the NBA Play-In Tournament, guaranteeing them a spot in the playoffs, Larry Nance Jr. made a joke at the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-news-jontay-porter-lifetime-ban-over-sports-betting-draws-strong-toronto-statement">expense of Jontay Porter</a>, a Toronto Raptors two-way player the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/raptors-jontay-porter-hit-with-nba-banhammer-after-violating-gambling-rules">league banned for life</a> earlier this week for tipping off bettors who gambled on NBA games.</p><p>During the press conference following the Pelicans’ 105-98 home victory, Nance took a moment to say that he was “betting” on New Orleans — but <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1781546147229634615">just not like</a> Porter.</p><p>“Respectfully, I’m betting on the Pels. I’m not <i>betting</i>. No Jontay Porter. I’m not <i>betting. </i>I’m not betting on anything. I don’t own a betting app, none of that,” Nance said while laughing as the media room became filled with laughter as well.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Larry Nance: Respectfully, I'm bettin on the Pels. I'm not BETTING, no Jontay Porter. I'm not BETTING. I'm not betting on anything. I don't own a betting app, none of that. <a href="https://t.co/0HgTbyXOHr">pic.twitter.com/0HgTbyXOHr</a></p><p>— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1781546147229634615?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Jontay Porter betting scandal, explained</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Former-NBA-player-Jontay-Porter.jpg"></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/jontay-porters-banishment-receives-bold-charles-barkley-five-years-take">NBA banned Jontay Porter</a>, the younger brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr., for life on April 17 after it found that Porter had passed along information to those who bet on games in which he played. The allegations of gambling first popped up on March 25 when it was reported that the league was investigating Porter for suspicious betting activity on his player props.</p><p>The player prop market around Porter, a fringe NBA player who had spent most of his time in the G-League since going undrafted in 2019, proved to be far too active; DraftKings twice announced that Porter’s player props were the biggest winners of the day. The first time this happened was on Jan. 26, when a bettor placed a wager on the under for Porter’s made three-pointers, while the other was on March 20, just days before the report of the investigation. In both instances, Porter left the game after just a few minutes with a supposed injury or illness.</p><p>On Jan. 26 against the Los Angeles Clippers, a game in which there was a notable prop bet made on Porter, the Raptors reserve player claimed he had re-aggravated an injury with his eye and exited the game after fewer than five minutes played. Porter again exited a game early on March 20 against the Sacramento Kings; Porter claimed he was suffering from an illness and left the game after fewer than three minutes played.</p><p>A few weeks after it opened its investigation, the NBA announced it had decided to permanently ban Porter from ever playing or being involved in the league again. The NBA said it had found through the course of its investigation that Porter had been “disclosing confidential information to sports bettors, limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes, and betting on NBA games.” Porter allegedly bet on at least a dozen NBA games and had wagered that the Raptors would lose in some instances.</p><p>Porter’s lifetime ban mirrors MLB’s punishment of Pete Rose, the league’s all-time hits leader who was found to have bet on baseball games in which he played and managed while a member of the Cincinnati Reds. Rose, a surefire Hall of Famer, was permanently banned from MLB in 1989 and two years later, barred from ever being voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Banned Jontay Porter catches Larry Nance stray over hilarious Pelicans betting remarks

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-larry-nance-jr-s-ridiculous-take-on-zion-williamson-new-orleans-will-worry-the-west');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans: Larry Nance Jr.’s ‘ridiculous’ Zion Williamson, New Orleans take will worry the West');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Pelicans-Larry-Nance-Jr.s-ridiculous-Zion-Williamson-New-Orleans-take-will-worry-the-West.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans: Larry Nance Jr.’s ‘ridiculous’ Zion Williamson, New Orleans take will worry the West</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-03-19T20:57:36-07:00">March 19th, 8:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-03-19T20:57:36-07:00">March 19th, 8:57pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For as much depth the New Orleans Pelicans have built throughout the roster, their contending hopes still hinge on Zion Williamson. Williamson, at his best, is a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-fiery-response-critics">thunderous wrecking ball</a> who is as close to unguardable as it gets when he gets to his spot in the paint. However, for the past two seasons, Williamson’s stock has fallen considerably after the highflying lefty went through a plethora of injury problems as well as a slew of off-court issues.</p><p>But it appears as though Williamson has turned a corner, peaking at exactly the right time for a Pelicans team that looks primed to make some noise in the playoffs. On Tuesday night, Williamson put up another marvelous effort, dropping 28 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 104-91 win over the Brooklyn Nets.</p><p>Zion Williamson looks much leaner and much more in shape as of late, and it has shown in the way he has produced on the court. The entire Pelicans team appears to be invigorated by a much more focused Williamson, with Larry Nance Jr. <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1770272571541373089">expressing his admiration</a> over the way the 23-year old forward is changing the narrative of his career.</p><p>“His focus level right now is just ridiculous. The best players I’ve played with, this is when they’re peaking… I am just so proud of him for putting in the work on his body to stay healthy this year… Couldn’t be more happy for him,” Nance said in his postgame presser, via Pelicans Film Room on Twitter (X).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"His focus level right now is just ridiculous. The best players I've played with, this is when they're peaking… I am just so proud of him for putting in the work on his body to stay healthy this year… Could be more happy for him"</p><p>— Larry Nance on Zion's play since January <a href="https://t.co/FCJwvmaRs2">pic.twitter.com/FCJwvmaRs2</a></p><p>— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/PelsFilmRoom/status/1770272571541373089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Earlier in the season, the noise surrounding Zion Williamson and his reported disregard for staying in shape was reaching peak levels, with the Pelicans even engaging in a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-continues-to-receive-weight-criticism-from-stephen-a-smith">bit of a beef</a> with pundit Stephen A. Smith. But Williamson has reportedly taken the embarrassment of their In-Season Tournament exit to heart, fueling him to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-zion-williamsons-massive-weight-loss-fueled-by-pelicans-nba-in-season-tournament-embarrassment">work harder</a>, and it has been paying off.</p><p>A healthy and motivated Williamson is all the Pelicans need to potentially make some noise in the playoffs, and Larry Nance Jr. warns the rest of the league that New Orleans will be <a href="https://twitter.com/Jim_Eichenhofer/status/1770282012651266467">coming for them</a>.</p><p>“This team is really scary. We’re starting to get some attention that is well deserved. We’re going to be a problem for somebody. We’ve just got to keep our heads down and keep working,” Nance added, per Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans: Larry Nance Jr.’s ‘ridiculous’ Zion Williamson, New Orleans take will worry the West

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-veteran-larry-nance-jr-s-zero-hunger-challenge-venture-awards-50000');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans veteran Larry Nance Jr.’s Zero Hunger Challenge venture awards $50,000');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Pelicans-veteran-Larry-Nance-Jr.s-Zero-Hunger-Challenge-venture-awards-50000.webp"></figure><h1>Pelicans veteran Larry Nance Jr.’s Zero Hunger Challenge venture awards $50,000</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-03-05T10:50:08-08:00">March 5th, 10:50am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-03-05T10:51:13-08:00">March 5th, 10:51am</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Larry Nance Jr. does not believe in empty promises. The Wyoming alum also hates to see good opportunities, ideas, and food go to waste. The 10-year NBA veteran decided to do something to not only help those struggling now but also support those with ideas to help the Cresent City in the future. Nance Jr. teamed up with New Orleans Pelicans and the Second Harvest Food Bank of South Louisiana to really build out the venture to open as many doors, and feed as many mouths, as possible.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-larry-nance-jr-shares-details-of-big-off-court-plans">Nance Jr.’s expanding portfolio</a> is matched only by his community investment. More than a handful of local New Orleans schools and teachers have benefitted from<a href="https://www.nba.com/pelicans/news/larry-nance-jr-helping-new-orleans-schools-teachers-meet-need-for-supplies"> having the big man</a> in town. The ‘other’ kid from Akron is even getting others within the franchise involved. The 31-year-old journeyman turned businessman enlisted Pelicans Vice President Swin Cash to cast a deciding vote in the latest venture.</p><p>James Beard Award Winning Chef Nina Compton whipped up some dishes in celebration of four teams from local schools. Students from Eleanor McMain, Sophie B. Wright, The Willow School, and Frederick A. Douglass presented ideas. The plans ranged from revitalizing neighborhood corner stores ravaged but multiple storms, improved food distribution networks, and ways to encourage growing foods in efficient home gardens.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/LarryLIVE.png"><figcaption>Larry Nance Jr. posed before Zero Hunger Challenge event. (credit Pelicans.com)</figcaption></figure><p>The Frederick A. Douglass team brought a real-time solution to the table. The “Keep It Growing” project would educate and spread awareness on the benefits, and ease, of growing cheap, nutritious food at home. Nance Jr. said when<a href="https://www.nba.com/pelicans/news/larry-nance-jr-zero-hunger-challenge-finale-second-harvest-south-louisiana"> announcing the winning group</a>, the judges “felt could be implemented right away.”</p><p>“I was so impressed,” the Pelicans forward bragged. “They reached out to the mayor and government officials and just went over and above any kind of goals I could have set for the program. It’s a true testament to the Orleans Parish schools for the type of response and efforts they gave.”</p><h2>Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. plants extra $250000 seed money</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Larry25k.png"><figcaption>Willow School group holds check from Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. (credit Pelicans.com)</figcaption></figure><p>The winning team received a $50,000 check ($10,000 per student). That was the planned, approved, and marketed first and only prize. Nance Jr. was so impressed that he wrote an additional $25,000 for the second-place team (the Willow School). The next step is signing up more community leaders to help the schools put their plans into action.</p><p>“Through Larry’s unwavering commitment to empowering students with knowledge about food insecurity and systems, the Zero Hunger Challenge resonates as a beacon of hope,” said Dr. Darvell Hutchins (Pelicans VP Equity &amp; Social Impact). “The New Orleans Pelicans, in their collaboration with the Food Intolerance Association, exemplify transformative action, offering students the chance to explore their bodies’ responses to food. It’s not just a game on the court; it’s a movement for change in our communities.”</p><p>The Larry Nance Jr Zero Hunger Challenge came to life after reading about children facing school lunch debt. He contacted NOLA Superintendent of Public Schools Dr. Avis Williams to ensure that it wasn’t an issue in New Orleans. While it wasn’t a problem there, this sparked Nance’s curiosity, particularly after encountering statistics that he found impossible to ignore. The debt might not have been on the books but New Orleans children were opening doors to too many empty refrigerators. Nance Jr. wanted to open different doors.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Larry-50k.png"><figcaption>Larry Nance Jr. poses with Zero Hunger Challenge winners (credit Pelicans.com)</figcaption></figure><p>“We came up with something we could do to inspire change,” Nance Jr. shared. “Change doesn’t happen without the youth. They’ve got to be bought in and they’ve got to be educated and tuned in to their communities future and the real problems in it.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans veteran Larry Nance Jr.’s Zero Hunger Challenge venture awards $50,000

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-larry-nance-jr-hits-knicks-perfect-trey-murphy-iii-trolling-big-win');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans: Larry Nance Jr, hits Knicks with perfect Trey Murphy III trolling after big win');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Pelicans_news_Larry_Nance_Jr_hits_Knicks_with_perfect_Trey_Murphy_III_trolling_after_big_win.webp"></figure><h1>Pelicans: Larry Nance Jr, hits Knicks with perfect Trey Murphy III trolling after big win</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-27T22:57:15-08:00">February 27th, 10:57pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-27T22:57:15-08:00">February 27th, 10:57pm</time><address><a>Jay Postrado</a>Jay is a lifelong motorsports and tennis fan. His need for speed may no longer be on the grid or courts but has stayed with him through writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New York Knicks were very shorthanded when they faced the New Orleans Pelicans. All they had was Donte DiVincenzo. Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, and Isaiah Hartenstein were big absences from the squad which meant that the Zion Williamson-led squad had to take advantage. They did exactly just that and left the Knicks struggling. Larry Nance Jr. had time to make fun of their opponents with a meme that had Trey Murphy III.</p><p>Knocking down nine out of 14 field goal attempts for 26 points will surely get someone’s attention. This is exactly what Trey Murphy III did as he<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-brandon-ingram-exits-vs-knicks-after-scary-ankle-injury" rel="noopener"> torched the Knicks’ defense</a> and buried them throughout the game. If the love from Pelicans fans was not enough, Larry Nance Jr. also added more gas to the flame but posting <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/pelicans/news/trey-murphy-iiis-hot-shooting-lifts-pelicans-over-short-handed-knicks" rel="noopener">his teammate</a> as the Statue of Liberty.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Game Recap: <a href="https://t.co/uOj6DTlIar">pic.twitter.com/uOj6DTlIar</a></p><p>— Larry Nance (@Larrydn22) <a href="https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1762690851975684112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>This had everyone cracking up after the Pelicans dismantled their opponents with a 115 to 92 scoreline. Murphy was doing a lot of work in this game. Aside from the buckets, he also posted four assists and grabbed seven rebounds to round out his night. This mixed with the production of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram which combined for 45 points made it a breeze for the Pelicans to get their 35th win of the season.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-cj-mccollum-injury-updates-vs-knicks" rel="noopener">Pelicans are now just</a> two wins away from usurping the Los Angeles Clippers as the fourth-best team in the Western Conference standings. Will they be able to do it?</p><h2>Pelicans unlock keys to success</h2><p>The balance in the Pelicans’ attack was what spelled the difference in their domination of the Knicks. They knocked down 52.9% of their shots from three-point range while also getting 34 points in the paint. All of this made it hard for the opponents to rotate and expect the same plays and options being run. It confused the Knicks’ defense which led to the big win.</p><p>The Pelicans defense was also impeccable in this matchup. Donte DiVincenzo only scored 23 points as he notched a measly eight out of his 21 field goal attempts. Precious Achiuwa and Josh Hart also both needed 40 minutes just to score 15 points which is a testament to how the Pelicans suffocated their opponents. Finally, the Knicks were forced to only have a 37.3% field goal shooting percentage and a poor 30.4% shooting clip from three-point range.</p><p>All of these are the markings of an up-and-coming team that could make a deep playoff push.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans: Larry Nance Jr, hits Knicks with perfect Trey Murphy III trolling after big win

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/cavs-news-larry-nance-jr-hilariously-calls-out-woj-pete-nance-photo-choice');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs: Larry Nance Jr. hilariously calls out Woj for Pete Nance photo choice');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cavs-news-larry-nance-jr-hilariously-calls-out-woj-for-pete-nance-photo-choice.webp"></figure><h1>Cavs: Larry Nance Jr. hilariously calls out Woj for Pete Nance photo choice</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-16T23:40:14-08:00">January 16th, 11:40pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-16T23:43:57-08:00">January 16th, 11:43pm</time><address><a>Brian Buyawe</a>Brian Buyawe is a sports aficionado with a passion for basketball, football and Formula One. His hobbies include running, reading and playing in recreational leagues. Back when he was a kid, Brian stumbled upon an old Larry Bird documentary among his family's collection of movies, which made him a lifelong Celtics fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The love for basketball runs in the Nance family. Following the footsteps of Larry Nance back in the day, Larry Nance Jr. continues to carve out a career for himself in the NBA.</p><p>Now, it seems that a third Nance is set to play in the big league. On Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers signed big man Pete Nance from the G League to a 10-day contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski.</p><p>Following Wojnarowski’s announcement on X (Twitter), Larry Nance Jr. hilariously retweeted and commented on the former’s choice of picture for his younger brother.</p><p>“On second thought, why did Woj choose that pic?” Nance Jr. said, adding a laughing emoji.</p><p>Wojnarowski <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1747468715401355532" rel="noopener">replied and said</a> that the jersey Pete Nance wore was the G-league version <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/biggest-need-cavs-must-address-2024-nba-trade-deadline" rel="noopener">of the Cavs</a>‘ old-school jerseys.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">(Old school Cavs jersey)</p><p>— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1747468715401355532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2>Pete Nance gets a second chance with the Cavs</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Pete-Nance.jpg"></figure><p>After four years with the University of North Carolina, Pete Nance went undrafted in 2023. Still, he was able to join the Cavs’ summer league roster and was even signed in September. However, the Cavs decided to waive him prior to the start of the regular season.</p><p>Nance then signed with the team’s G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, where he currently averages 13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists.</p><p>Now with another opportunity, Pete Nance will become the third of his family to don the Cleveland Cavaliers jersey. If he ends up performing well and gets granted a longer contract, then he’ll have a chance to face his older brother <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/cavs-options-fill-open-roster-spot-ahead-trade-deadline" rel="noopener">when the Cavs</a> go against the Pelicans in March.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs: Larry Nance Jr. hilariously calls out Woj for Pete Nance photo choice

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-larry-nance-jr-perfectly-sums-up-what-takes-new-orleans-become-elite');   ga('set', 'title', 'Larry Nance Jr. perfectly sums up what it takes for Pelicans to become elite');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Pelicans_news_Larry_Nance_Jr._perfectly_sums_up_what_it_takes_for_New_Orleans_to_become_elite.webp"></figure><h1>Larry Nance Jr. perfectly sums up what it takes for Pelicans to become elite</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-04T05:32:23-08:00">January 4th, 5:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-04T05:32:23-08:00">January 4th, 5:32am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans picked up a big win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, a statement game on the road against the top team in the Western Conference so far this season, and Larry Nance Jr. <a href="https://twitter.com/Jim_Eichenhofer/status/1742756878327668971" rel="noopener">spoke about</a> how defense is the key for the Pelicans to be an elite team in the league.</p><p>“It starts on the defensive end for us,” Larry Nance Jr. said, according to Jim Eichenhofer of The New Orleans Pelicans Podcast. “We’ve got guys who can score 20 in their sleep. The offense is going to come easy for us, that’s not a problem. The defensive end is where we’ve got to hang our hat and take pride in.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-jordan-hawkins-reacts-to-college-like-g-league-run" rel="noopener">Pelicans</a> rely on the trio of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum on offense, and that usually is a good recipe. Zion Williamson put up 27, while CJ McCollum scored 24 and Brandon Ingram scored 19 in the win against the Timberwolves.</p><p>Nance is one of the players who can bring a defensive energy for the team. He was a key player last night, grabbing nine rebounds in the effort.</p><p>With the win, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-new-orleans-potential-mardi-gras-milestone-bodes-well-for-playoff-dreams" rel="noopener">Pelicans</a> moved to 21-14 on the season, and they are now in the sixth spot in the tightly-contested Western Conference. It seems as if the Pelicans might be figuring things out as of late, as they have now won four games in a row.</p><p>Up next are the Los Angeles Clippers at home on Friday night, followed by a road trip with games against the Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets and two games against the Dallas Mavericks. This upcoming stretch will be telling regarding where the Pelicans stack up in the West.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Larry Nance Jr. perfectly sums up what it takes for Pelicans to become elite

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-larry-nance-jr-trolls-lebron-james-after-jose-alvarado-victimizes-lakers-star-twice');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. trolls LeBron James after Jose Alvarado victimizes Lakers star twice');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Pelicans_news_Larry_Nance_Jr_trolls_LeBron_James_after_Jose_Alvarado_victimizes_Lakers_star_twice.webp"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. trolls LeBron James after Jose Alvarado victimizes Lakers star twice</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-01T02:04:36-08:00">January 1st, 2:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-01T15:25:46-08:00">January 1st, 3:25pm</time><address><a>Brian Buyawe</a>Brian Buyawe is a sports aficionado with a passion for basketball, football and Formula One. His hobbies include running, reading and playing in recreational leagues. Back when he was a kid, Brian stumbled upon an old Larry Bird documentary among his family's collection of movies, which made him a lifelong Celtics fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On New Year’s Eve, the New Orleans Pelicans won against the Los Angeles Lakers, 129-109. In the one-sided blowout, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-anthony-davis-brutally-honest-communication-issues-loss-pelicans" rel="noopener">the Lakers struggled</a> to keep up with the Pelicans throughout the outing, despite LeBron James’ 34-point game. James in particular was on the wrong end of Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado’s antics during the game.</p><p>Alvarado, known best for his sneaky come-from-behind steals, managed to use <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1741646008746918285" rel="noopener">his signature defensive move</a> twice and force James to commit two of his four turnovers that night. (via SportsCenter)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jose Alvarado got LeBron TWICE 👀 <a href="https://t.co/w9ZmQDbv1N">pic.twitter.com/w9ZmQDbv1N</a></p><p>— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1741646008746918285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>After the game, it seemed that New Orleans wasn’t done letting James hear about his pockets getting picked. Pelicans big man Larry Nance Jr. in particular, <a href="https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1741651410406547871" rel="noopener">posted a hilarious</a> photoshopped picture of Alvarado on X.</p><p>The picture has a cropped face of Alvarado on the cover of Thief, a video game released back in 2014. Nance Jr. captioned the post “Game recap” — a reminder of Jose Alvarado’s defensive thievery throughout the night.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Game Recap: <a href="https://t.co/musy2CJRQR">pic.twitter.com/musy2CJRQR</a></p><p>— Larry Nance (@Larrydn22) <a href="https://twitter.com/Larrydn22/status/1741651410406547871?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2>The New Orleans Pelicans end their year with a bang</h2><p>Aside from Alvarado being a thorn in the side of the Lakers, the purple and gold struggled to contain Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, who both finished the night with 26 points each. CJ McCollum also added damage, providing 22 points for the Pelicans.</p><p>Nance Jr. himself finished with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. All 10 players in the game for the Pelicans were able to score in the blowout win.</p><p>As for the Lakers, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves provided 20 points apiece in support of LeBron, but still, it was far from enough <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-vs-pelicans-prediction-odds-pick-how-to-watch-12-31-2023" rel="noopener">to match the Pelicans</a>. New Orleans finished its 2023 on a high note and will go against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday to cap off a five-game homestand.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. trolls LeBron James after Jose Alvarado victimizes Lakers star twice

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-larry-nance-jr-league-alert');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. talking tough, putting league on alert');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Larry-Nance-article.webp"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. talking tough, putting league on alert</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-30T16:46:36-08:00">December 30th, 4:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-30T16:46:36-08:00">December 30th, 4:46pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans (18-14) are no stranger to skeleton crew squads due to mounting injuries. Thankfully, they’ve been able to at least <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-willie-green-not-worried-about-minute-allotments-mixed-messages" rel="noopener">shuffle the decks</a> around their two All-Stars instead of trying to replace the production of Zion Williamson (26 games played) and Brandon Ingram (29 games played). The reserve unit has been a rotating cast but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-larry-nance-jr-real-mental-side-injury-return" rel="noopener">Larry Nance Jr.’s absence</a> (rib, ankle, groin) was arguably the most worrisome.</p><p>The Wyoming alum returned to action against the Utah Jazz and immediately put the league on alert with a highlight, game-clinching dunk. Nance Jr. also talked in the post-game press conference about the team’s toughness, both individually and collectively. His postgame comments spoke as loud as the nine points, seven rebounds, five steals, and a block performance upon returning to the Pelicans. The nine-year veteran’s leadership and calming presence in clutch minutes are attributes not accounted for on the stat sheet.</p><h2><b>Pelicans come through in the clutch, candid diagnosis</b></h2><p>It’s no secret the New Orleans Pelicans are having problems closing out games, even when they hold late double-digit leads. Nance Jr.’s wily know-how in those tough moments came in handy against the Jazz. The savvy veteran came through in the closing moments but did not pull any punches when diagnosing what was wrong.</p><p>“It just felt like more grit, more scrap. It felt like we weren’t playing, didn’t feel like we were wasting clock playing not to lose. That’s what it has felt like the past few games,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVPMbhWvsts" rel="noopener">Nance Jr. admitted about the Pelicans</a>. “We’ve been just looking at the clock like please go down. We were executing and scoring on the offensive end instead of using it as an opportunity to run time off. Like, they can’t guard us so why would we let off the gas? Again, we just need a little bit of chip, a little bit of grit…I think the difference tonight was the level of tenacity.”</p><p>Nance Jr. was forthright when asked about how to develop toughness.</p><p>“I don’t think toughness is something you build on. I think we’re here, I think we’re here. You know, Naji, tough as nails. Right? He’s outwardly tough as nails. Herb is not so outwardly tough but you know, tough. Jose is tough outwardly. Different guys have their own way of carrying their level of toughness but I just think you need the right group or the right people to bring it out of you. That’s what I was looking for tonight and I got it.”</p><p>Nance Jr.’s methods for upping the energy levels and setting an example were simple.</p><p>“I kept pulling guys aside and hitting them in the chest. Doing little things here and there like pumping the crowd up, diving on the floor. Apparently, I’m old on the team. I’m 30, and I’m old. So if I can dive on the court there is no excuse for anybody under my age to not be diving on the court. You just try to set that toughness example that says this is the standard, period. I don’t think (toughness) is something we are working on. That’s something that has to stay (constant). Emphasis on has to.”</p><h2><b>Veteran know-how and understanding valued commodities</b></h2><p>Nance Jr. understands needing a refresher during a season though. He just returned from a month-long absence.</p><p>“There is a wall we all get to. Basketball games are supremely taxing, very tiring. Especially for the guys like Brandon, Z, CJ, Herb playing 35-36 minutes, it’s tough at the level they (play). I think JV was in that game as well, and just came off 36, 37 minutes. It’s really tough to refocus again when you see five minutes left. It’s a new game. You were up 10 or something and you got to re-lock in. Mentally that’s a really tough thing to wrap your head around. It’s like, we just blew a lead again. It’s easy to sink into ‘oh here we go again.’</p><p>“Physical toughness is one thing but mental toughness?” Nance Jr. asked rhetorically. “That just comes with being in those situations. This team hasn’t, I think since I been here, this is the first time everyone is healthy for the most part. This is the first time everyone has been healthy so we’re trying to figure it out. We have seven, eight, nine guys that could realistically finish a game depending on the night. That mental toughness has to come from somewhere. Tonight it just so happened to be me but we’ve got plenty of guys willing and ready to step into that role.”</p><p>Nance Jr. was also direct in addressing the inconsistent, wavering toughness Green brought up after a two-point loss to the Houston Rockets.</p><p>“We have to grow from our mistakes. I see all the graphics. We are 0-6 in games decided under three points or something. That’s something good teams don’t do. We’ve given up nine 10-plus point leads in the second half. That’s something good teams don’t do. We’ve got our lulls, our mistakes, our bumps and bruises but at the same time I’d be more worried, more concerned, if we were firing on all cylinders right now. Where do you go from there? We’ve got plenty of room to grow. This team is going to be ready when it matters.”</p><h2><b> Nance Jr. puts NBA on alert, preaching patience</b></h2><p>Larry Nance Jr. has been telling anyone who would listen that this edition of the Pelicans has championship potential. He was adamant during last season’s exit interviews despite New Orleans being eliminated in the NBA Play-In Tournament.</p><p>“That stretch we had where we were on top of the West and kind of kicking (butt) put the league on notice for a little bit,” <a href="https://www.nba.com/pelicans/news/larry-nance-jr-new-orleans-pelicans-recap-2022-23-nba-season-review" rel="noopener">Nance said last spring</a>, via NBA.com. “Obviously our season kind of deteriorated after that. In that locker room is a number one seed in the West. Whether we can get on the court at the same time is a different question, but the talent is clearly there.”</p><p>Nance Jr. is preaching patience this fall but is still singing the same confident tune going into the last game of the calendar year.</p><p>“Another thing good teams don’t do? No team that has won it all has peaked in December. Yeah, we have our rough patches but at the same time I have confidence, we all have confidence, that we will peak at the right time.”</p><p>Nance Jr. is feeling better than ever at the right time. The Pelicans have a tough seven-week schedule before the NBA All-Star break. Then comes another seven-week sprint to the postseason. But that’s for another day. Celebrating Thursday’s return to the lineup in a win is a good starting point for a team expecting to win a playoff series.</p><p>“It’s good to be back,” Nance Jr. said after a 112-105 Pelicans’ victory. “I felt as good as I’ve felt in years. Beginning of the (season, I was dealing with an), ankle here, groin here, little things that hadn’t healed up yet. (Now) I feel great.”</p><p>“Having Larry back, it was huge for us,” third-year head coach Willie Green said. “That’s the Larry we’re all accustomed to seeing. Credit to him, he worked his tail off to get himself ready to play and be who he is to this team. Without Larry, that’s a tougher game to win for us. We’re all grateful to have him back.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. talking tough, putting league on alert

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-decision-to-let-larry-nance-jr-heal-up-pays-off-immediately');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans decision to let Larry Nance Jr. heal up pays off immediately');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/pelicans-big-larry-nance-jr-injury-decision-pays-off-immediately-vs-jazz.webp"></figure><h1>Pelicans decision to let Larry Nance Jr. heal up pays off immediately</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-29T12:59:33-08:00">December 29th, 12:59pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-29T12:59:33-08:00">December 29th, 12:59pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Larry Nance Jr. knew the New Orleans Pelicans needed him to return at full strength but the veteran played through several ailments going back to last season. Both Nance Jr. and the team suffered, failing to live up to their expectations. He was admitted battling through several nagging issues to start this season but a shot to the ribs meant a long spell on the injury report. It was a blessing in disguise because it came with time to<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-larry-nance-jr-real-mental-side-injury-return"> heal up and prepare mentally.</a></p><p>The Pelicans <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVPMbhWvsts">forward feels</a>, “as good as I’ve felt in years. At the beginning of the year, it was ankle here, groin there. Little things that hadn’t healed up yet. I feel great.”</p><p>However the Wyoming alum, “didn’t want to take time off. It all started because I couldn’t play because I broke my rib. I had to be off regardless. Normally, you just rehab and stay ready. This was more than, ‘Stay ready.’ This was, ‘Get ready.’ I wasn’t (ready) before. There was a lot that went into explosion work. A lot of quickness. A lot of lifting.”</p><p>The Pelicans put Nance Jr. through a simulated preseason over the last week to ramp up. Still, there is always a concern about rust or reinjury when coming back from multiple knocks. The eight-year veteran responded by notching nine points, grabbing seven rebounds, snatching five steals, and blocking a shot. Oh, and then there was that highlight dunk Zion Williamson used to steal Nance Jr.’s game recap thunder.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Game recap <a href="https://twitter.com/Larrydn22?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Larrydn22</a> <a href="https://t.co/ik1AhiQA6n">pic.twitter.com/ik1AhiQA6n</a></p><p>— Zion Williamson (@Zionwilliamson) <a href="https://twitter.com/Zionwilliamson/status/1740579443264123263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 29, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2>Pelicans knew Nance Jr. need time to heal</h2><p>The decision to hold <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-larry-nance-jr-antsy-return-rib-injury" rel="noopener">Nance Jr. despite him being ‘antsy’</a> to return paid off handsomely. He was part of the closing lineup of a tough 112-105 home win over the scrappy Utah Jazz. New Orleans has had <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-all-stars-willie-green-share-blame-for-crunch-time-woes">trouble closing out wins</a> this season, even with double-digit leads. Nance Jr.’s calm yet tough leadership has been sorely missed. He did not like the way the team was losing without him either, but there was a noticeable difference on Thursday night.</p><p>Nance Jr. said, “It just felt like more grit, more scrap (from the Pelicans). It didn’t feel like we were wasting the clock playing not to lose…We were executing and scoring. They can’t guard us, so why would we let off the gas?”</p><p>It was the first Pelicans victory over the Jazz in six games since the start of the 2022-23 season.</p><p>Coach Willie Green<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWEWKp7loBM"> admitted</a>, “Having Larry back, it was huge for us. That’s the Larry we’re all accustomed to seeing. Credit to him, he worked his tail off to get himself ready to play and be who he is to this team. Without Larry, that’s a tougher game to win for us. We’re all grateful to have him back.”</p><h2>Pelicans play around with post-game recap ritual</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Lakers-news-Larry-Nance-Jr.jpg"></figure><p>Everyone in the Smoothie King Center had a reaction similar to Zion Williamson’s description of Nance Jr.’s dagger dunk.</p><p>Williamson joked, “It looked like he was going to dunk, but not <i>that.</i>”</p><p>Nance Jr. stated confidently, “That’s who I am. It just felt good to get back to who I am. Earlier in the season, I would have got that drop-off and tried to throw up some B.S. hook or some floater. I can make it. But that’s not who I am. That’s not what this team needs from me.”</p><p>The elder statesman who might boast of being a ’40-year-old savant,’ per Williamson, was not even going to bother publishing a postgame recap. Nance Jr. usually does something fun on social media but it was a big night personally. There were lots of congratulations to go around, and he had yet to shower before doing the postgame press conference.</p><p>No worries. Williamson beat Nance Jr. to the punch. The cameras had stopped filming but those two kept rolling out jokes once the media session ended. The locker room celebration could be heard 20 yards down the Smoothie King Center hallway before the postgame press conferences even started.</p><p>All jokes aside, the team’s needs right now are simple. The celebrating of last night is over; the Pelicans have to focus on the next game. The Los Angeles Lakers are visiting the Crescent City on New Year’s Eve night.</p><p>Expect some fireworks in a revenge game now that Coach Green has a full cupboard of key contributors available around Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. The Pelicans owe the Lakers one last 2023 parting shot after suffering an embarrassing defeat in the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinals. With two days to rest up, Nance Jr. and Co. should be ready for a firecracker face-off versus Lebron James and Anthony Davis.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans decision to let Larry Nance Jr. heal up pays off immediately

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-larry-nance-jr-antsy-return-rib-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. ‘antsy’ to take court following rib injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Pelicans__Larry_Nance_Jr.__antsy__to_take_court_following_rib_injury.webp"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Larry Nance Jr. ‘antsy’ to take court following rib injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-28T14:18:20-08:00">December 28th, 2:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-28T14:18:20-08:00">December 28th, 2:18pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans are getting a late Christmas gift Thursday night in the Smoothie King Center. Beloved big man Larry Nance Jr. (ribs) will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-larry-nance-jr-real-mental-side-injury-return">return to the rotation</a> after spending over a month <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-larry-nance-jr-injury-report" rel="noopener">on the injury report</a>.</p><p>Nance Jr. said <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1S82MGqEfE">during the morning shootaround</a>, “I feel great. I’ll be playing tonight. I’m in great shape. I feel ready to go and rejuvenated. I think it will be nice to get some veteran experience back in the lineup, and hopefully a calming force.”</p><p>Nance Jr. said at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf-Wg439E9Y">practice earlier this week</a> that the time off “was really good for the whole body. It was a rough summer and now I feel awesome, I feel athletic, I feel bouncy. We’ve been doing some great things. I’m just looking forward to adding to it.”</p><p>The Ohio native continued, “I’m feeling better than I have in a long time. Honestly, for me individually, this was a little bit of a blessing. Obviously, nobody wants to crack their rib but for me, it was nice to give myself a chance to have an actual preseason, a buildup per se. I feel back to myself. I feel back to where I’m ready to make an impact.”</p><h2><b>Pelicans need Nance Jr.’s calming influence</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Pelicans-Zion-Williamson-Larry-Nance-Jr.-dish-on-players-only-meeting-after-losing-skid.jpg"></figure><p>The Pelicans need more energy and effectiveness during clutch moments. They also need level heads and fewer turnovers. A five-point game with less than five minutes remaining has been an obstacle New Orleans cannot clear. They are 0-6 in those situations and have dropped nine games after holding a double-digit lead. Another steady, veteran hand in those moments will help immensely.</p><p>Nance Jr. likes “to think I have a decent level of (basketball) IQ, so I can help out with that. I’ve got some good experience in late-game situations, so I think I’ll be able to add a bit of calmness there…Overall, for three and a half quarters, we’ve been really good consistently. Fortunately, I pride myself on that half of a quarter that we’re missing. Hopefully, I’ll be able to fit like a puzzle piece back in there, and we’ll be able to figure some stuff out.”</p><p>Pelicans head coach Willie Green was giving Nance Jr. about 15 minutes per game as the forward <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-jose-alvarado-larry-nance-jr-injury-updates" rel="noopener">nursed an ankle injury</a> suffered over the summer. A less than 100% Nance Jr. was averaging 3.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.7 assists before suffering the rib injury. It’s a safe bet Nance Jr. returns closer to his career averages due to having a no-frills game.</p><p>The third-year head coach shared with ClutchPoints that Nance Jr. “is antsy for sure. He’s putting in the work and he’s getting better and better. We’ll have an update for you guys soon on where Larry is but he’s getting closer.”</p><p>Nance Jr. explained how “(The mental side) was the hardest part early in the season. I felt I was trying to force myself to be in a place where my body wasn’t ready to be yet. My mind was seeing things my body could not react to. That’s why I feel lucky that I got a chance to give my body a chance to catch up. Mentally, I’m obviously frustrated. I want to be out there. I feel like I could help in every single game we play. All I can do is help from behind right now but in a short amount of time I’ll be back.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
9.3	4.1	1.7	0.8	1.0

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
9.3	4.1	1.7	0.8	1.0

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