<!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-issues-holding-back-zion-williamson-brandon-ingram');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans get real on 2 issues holding back Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram');   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/2024/10/Pelicans-get-real-on-two-issues-holding-back-Zion-Williamson-Brandon-Ingram.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans get real on 2 issues holding back Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-13T06:30:36-07:00">October 13th, 6:30am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-13T06:31:11-07:00">October 13th, 6:31am</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 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-reveals-willie-greens-clear-message-on-improving-offense">New Orleans Pelicans know their weaknesses</a> with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram leading the way. A failure to close out games after holding leads in the fourth quarter and a lack of three-pointers led to another NBA Play-In Tournament gauntlet. The Pelicans survived but got swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of last year’s playoffs. Coach Willie Green did not shy away from questions on those issues hindering this squad’s postseason hopes yet again.</p><p>Getting Williamson and Ingram to focus on defense and foist up a few more shots from beyond the arc is just the start. Finding the right roles for sharpshooters CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, and Jordan Hawkins will go a long way in creating space for Williamson.</p><p>It all starts at the top, though. Green is still getting used to seeing some of those <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@NBAPelicans/videos" rel="noopener">three-pointers as good possessions </a>in the same way Ingram is finding comfort in taking them.</p><p>“I hate to be one of the guys talking about when I played but you know just growing up coaches would always tell us, ‘Don’t let them off the hook’,” Green recalled. “It was because cause you’re wide open for three and it’s like that’s not letting them off the hook. It’s wide open.”</p><p>So what is the new message now that Green is a coach?</p><p>“(As a player) I’ve got to work on that shot and I’ve got to be able to make it,” Green stated. “For me (as a coach), it’s about becoming more comfortable with knowing that those are great looks for us. Those are quality shots. It’s having our guards prepared to take those shots and take them with confidence. When they miss a couple I got to still be okay with that because, over the course of the season, it’s proven that we’re a pretty good three-point team.”</p><h2><b>Pelicans can’t stick with close-out status quo</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Brandon-Ingram-and-Zion-Williamson-regroup.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Pelicans lost over a dozen games last year after holding a fourth-quarter lead. More than a handful of double-digit cushions were squandered, costing New Orleans a top-six Western Conference spot. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-new-orleans-shots-2024-25-season">Williamson and Ingram’s offensive fit with the Pelicans</a> is just the start of the scouting report. Finding a way those two can function on defense without leaking buckets is a Big Deal in the Big Easy.</p><p>“It is definitely a focus,” Green stressed. “It starts with me talking to the team and having the responsibility of knowing that is an area where I need to improve. It’s an area we have to get on the floor and work on constantly…The more we can identify what our problems are, the more we can solve them. For me, it’s getting out in front of it. Letting (the Pelicans) know, this is where we are.”</p><p>Green knows the blueprint for beating the Pelicans was made public last season. There are larger trends at play too, which will dictate how New Orleans knocks heads with other Western Conference contenders.</p><p>“When you look at end-of-game scenarios against the top teams, they are just hunting a matchup,” Green explained. “The primetime players are watching the film. They are trying to figure out who can I take advantage of offensively. I think that’s definitely becoming a big part of those end-of-game scenarios.</p><p>“You have some teams that will put their best defender on the weakest offensive player. They’ll go roam and help to force the ball to go to that player. You have some teams that do the opposite and it is just preference. It’s (based on) what you what on and what your principles are, what your concepts are…It is going to be a group effort moving the needle in that area.”</p><p>Ingram popping off 40% from three-point range in a contract year opens up the offense and an ownership group’s wallets. Williamson becoming a hunter instead of being the hunted would certainly move the needle toward some All-NBA votes. Paired together the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-bold-predictions-after-2024-25-season-schedule-release">Pelicans can expect a playoff run</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans get real on 2 issues holding back Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram

<!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-herb-jones-surprising-role-change-zion-williamson');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Herb Jones hit with surprising role change next to Zion Williamson');   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/2024/10/Pelicans-news-Herb-Jones-hit-with-surprising-role-change-next-to-Zion-Williamson.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Herb Jones hit with surprising role change next to Zion Williamson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-10T11:21:21-07:00">October 10th, 11:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-10T11:21:36-07:00">October 10th, 11:21am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans have endured some underwhelming seasons in recent years. While head coach Willie Green and the team have shown clear growth over the last three seasons, this organization has been unable to get over the hump and solidify themselves as threats in the Western Conference by winning a playoff series. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-dejounte-murray-cant-stop-smiling-nola-trade">After adding Dejounte Murray to a core group</a> that contains Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Herb Jones, the Pelicans are primed for a possible breakout 2024-25 season.</p><p>With key contributors like Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins, and others on the bench, there have been questions about what the Pelicans’ rotations and starting lineup will look like heading into the season. This is especially true with Jonas Valanciunas no longer commanding the frontcourt after signing with the Washington Wizards in free agency and Larry Nance Jr. being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in the deal to acquire Murray.</p><p>It is clear that the Pelicans need to address their frontcourt. More specifically, Green and his coaching staff are going to need a plan heading into the start of the season regarding who the team’s starting center will be. Well, Williamson isn’t going to be in this position, which is why the <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1844433135066546381" rel="noopener">task of being the small-ball center</a> could fall on the Pelicans’ best defensive player.</p><p>“I’m told Herb Jones is essentially going to serve as the starting center for the Pelicans,” ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed on Thursday while appearing on the Pat McAfee Show. “You look at CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, and Zion Williamson — a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, Zion’s playing the five (center position).’ Willie Green came out the other day saying he’s not the five.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Herb Jones is essentially gonna serve as the starting center for the Pelicans.”</p><p>— Shams Charania 👀</p><p>How many games will the Pels win this year? 🤔</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatMcAfeeShow</a>)<a href="https://t.co/KTZCPLIfvR">pic.twitter.com/KTZCPLIfvR</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1844433135066546381?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>While Williamson would be the obvious choice to be the Pelicans’ starting center in the absence of Valanciunas, starting Jones in this spot is also advantageous to the team. Aside from taking pressure off Zion and maintaining his health to begin the season, having Jones down low gives the Pelicans a lot more options on how to attack offensively. In doing so, Williamson can live up to the hype of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-zion-williamson-reveals-willie-greens-clear-message-on-improving-offense">being an elite-level offensive weapon at the power forward spo</a>t.</p><p>The only problem is that New Orleans won’t be as strong of a rebounding team, as the five-man lineup Charania and so many have detailed doesn’t have a clear rebounder. Williamson averaged 5.8 rebounds per game last season, and Ingram averaged exactly 5.0 rebounds.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-hawks-dejounte-murray-drops-truth-herb-jones-all-defense-bid">Jones is a great defender</a> and can hold his own against any player in the league, but the idea of sacrificing size in the Western Conference, which houses some of the best big men in the league like Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis, and Anthony Davis, could lead to some defensive problems for the Pelicans as a whole. Then again, going small with Jones as the team’s center gives the Pelicans a lot more scoring options, especially on the perimeter.</p><p>Green has not yet revealed who will be starting for the Pelicans when they kick off the 2024-25 season against the Chicago Bulls on October 23.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Herb Jones hit with surprising role change next to Zion Williamson

<!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-zion-williamson-difference-dejounte-murray-cj-mccollum');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Zion Williamson details key difference between Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum');   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/2024/10/Dejounte-Murray-Herb-Jones-defensive-pairing-earns-Willie-Greens-approval.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Zion Williamson details key difference between Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-08T16:25:51-07:00">October 8th, 4:25pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-08T16:25:51-07:00">October 8th, 4:25pm</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 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/zion-williamsons-dominance-headlines-pelicans-preseason-win-magic">Zion Williamson-led New Orleans Pelicans wasted no time</a> in sending a message to their fans that this squad is ready for a fast start to the regular season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-willie-green-credits-zion-williamson-preseason-success-to-conditioning">An in-shape Williamson dished out three assists</a> on the first three possessions, then hit a couple of floaters for good measure. Then Dejounte Murray moved into the offensive driver’s seat and the newest addition to the locker room wasted no time in showing off the new-look offense.</p><p>James Borrego and Green are getting more creative in New Orleans and the Pelicans are making some very noticeable changes with Murray as the starting point guard. Willie Green gave a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHIGxkDeYxI&amp;t=304s" rel="noopener">stamp of approval</a> after one game, a half really, of leading the offense.</p><p>“Love what I saw from Dejounte and his defense (with Herb Jones),” Green boasted, via the Pelicans’ YouTube channel. “I mean their ability to get steals and deflections ignite our transition opportunities. And then (Murray) can just settle the gym. He can run the pick-and-roll. He can get to his spots. You guys saw a couple of times jump up and shoot the ball. He’ll get more comfortable as we continue to progress.”</p><p>Williamson (19 minutes) and Murray (17 minutes) made the most of the midday 12:30 pm exhibition run. Still, Green had enough to elaborate on Murray navigating the pick and roll with Williamson and how it differs from last season.</p><p>“One of the things that we learned last season is when we would bring a lot of smalls and pick rolls with Zion and then they’re fives with track him. They’d meet (Williamson) at the rim,” explained Green. “So we’re trying to mix it up a little bit more (with Murray) this season and bring the fives to pick-and-rolls where (Williamson) can see him there in front of them and is not guys coming from the weak side trying to block his shots. We will continue to work on it, but we know watching film from last season. We think we can play with those groups a little bit.”</p><h2><b>Zion Williamson appreciates Pelicans PG investment</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Dejounte-Murray-prepares-for-Pelicans-debut.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Pelicans gave up first-round draft pick Dyson Daniels, respected veteran Larry Nance Jr., second-rounder E.J. Liddell, and draft assets to acquire Murray. Williamson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVzUGvnVXoY&amp;t=301s" rel="noopener">appreciates the team’s investment</a> in a proper point guard, even if it does come at CJ McCollum’s expense.</p><p>“With Dejounte, I was telling about making a joke with CJ like, ‘It’s the first time in a while I’ve played with a real point guard,'” Williamson laughed. “Nah, it’s all love though. It’s just there were times CJ would try to play point and it’s like I appreciate it but I need him to score. With Dejounte, I’m setting certain screens and have to roll faster. Before with (McCollum) and (Brandon Ingram) coming off the screen it’s different. Now you have a true PG who is looking to make the pass first.”</p><p>Williamson and Murray know that one-half of preseason basketball is not the sample size to bet the house on. The All-Star duo has 82 games to get ready for an NBA playoff run. So how does Williamson feel about things so far?</p><p>“It’s just a chemistry we will build as the season goes on,” Williamson replied.</p><p>Green sounded a bit more optimistic during the postgame press conference.</p><p>“I love the fact that all the concepts that we’ve been working on in training camp, you can see a lot of carry-over, and that’s refreshing, to know that these guys are taking that information and they’re applying it,” Green said. “That’s what preseason is for, to get your group together, get them on the floor, make sure that we’re fundamentally sound.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson details key difference between Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum

<!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', '/team-usa-news-zion-williamson-ja-morant-get-urgent-message-2028-olympics');   ga('set', 'title', 'Zion Williamson, Ja Morant get urgent message about 2028 Olympics');   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/2024/10/Zion-Williamson-Ja-Morant-get-urgent-message-about-2028-Olympics.jpg"></figure><h1>Zion Williamson, Ja Morant get urgent message about 2028 Olympics</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-08T12:11:09-07:00">October 8th, 12:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-08T12:11:38-07:00">October 8th, 12:11pm</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Team USA is going to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/predicting-team-usa-womens-basketball-roster-2028-los-angeles-olympics">look much different</a> in the 2028 Olympics. With Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant likely headed to retirement by then, there will be some new faces on that squad. Two players getting a lot of buzz to fill the roster are Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.</p><p>Many analysts feel those two players are the key to the success of the Team USA 2028 Olympics basketball team.</p><p>“We will still have a great chance to win gold, but <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5825604/2024/10/08/zion-williamson-ja-morant-usa-basketball-void-pelicans-grizzlies/" rel="noopener">it won’t be easy</a>,” one USA Basketball source said, per The Athletic. “Ja and Zion need to be in the mix. Moving forward, hopefully they can get on track and stay on track.”</p><p>Williamson and Morant were both out of the mix for the 2024 Team USA squad. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/team-usa-news-tyrese-haliburton-coming-off-the-bench-for-america">That squad was loaded</a> with veteran talent, and ended up winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.</p><p>“If they (Team USA) would have called, you know, I would definitely have picked up, but I guess it wasn’t my time, which is OK,” Williamson said. “They went and went out there and brought gold home, which was great for the country. Hopefully in 2028, I’ll be ready.”</p><h2>There will be pressure on Team USA basketball to win the 2028 Olympics</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Derrick-White-celebrating-a-gold-medal-with-Team-USA-teammates.jpg"><figcaption>© Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The 2028 Olympics will be in Los Angeles, so Team USA will be defending their home floor in a way. The men’s basketball as well as women’s basketball competitions in recent Olympics have been carried by the Americans. Team USA has won gold going back to the 2004 games, when the squad took bronze.</p><p>Williamson and Morant will have a lot of talent around them in 2028. While it’s not certain if Joel Embiid will return, Team USA should still have Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, and Jayson Tatum just to name a few. Team USA fans are quite excited to see what so many younger faces will do.</p><p>There will be competition for the gold medal in the 2028 games. Serbia pushed the American squad in Paris, and former NBA star Carmelo Anthony is openly <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/team-usa-news-carmelo-anthony-france-canada-warning-olympics">a fan of several other countries</a>. Even South Sudan gave Team USA all they wanted in warm-up game before the 2024 Paris Olympics.</p><p>Of course, there are still years to go before the 2028 Olympics. First and foremost, Williamson and Morant have to worry about the upcoming NBA season. Williamson is expected to be a key contributor for the New Orleans Pelicans, where he averaged nearly 23 points last season. Morant is a key part of the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging nearly 23 points in his career.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Zion Williamson, Ja Morant get urgent message about 2028 Olympics

<!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-willie-green-credits-zion-williamson-preseason-success-to-conditioning');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Willie Green credits Zion Williamson’s preseason success to conditioning');   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/2024/10/Pelicans-news-Willie-Green-credits-Zion-Williamsons-preseason-success-to-conditioning-commitment.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Willie Green credits Zion Williamson’s preseason success to conditioning</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-08T04:48:17-07:00">October 8th, 4:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-08T04:49:24-07:00">October 8th, 4:49am</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>Preseason games are hardly a platform for making a statement. However, it did not take long to notice <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/zion-williamsons-dominance-headlines-pelicans-preseason-win-magic">Zion Williamson was dominating to lead the New Orleans Pelicans</a> in a preseason-opening win. The Orlando Magic took an offseason of anticipation on the chin from Williamson, who had a hand in the first 11 points to start the season. It is safe to say <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-zion-williamson-utilizing-best-shot-mentality-on-offense-entering-training-camp">Williamson’s “best shot” strategy in the new-look Pelicans</a> offense is paying early returns. Coach Willie Green credited a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHIGxkDeYxI" rel="noopener">commitment to offseason conditioning</a> in the postgame press conference.</p><p>“(Williamson) had a great camp and it’s a credit to the work that he put in before he even got to camp. His conditioning is at a high level and he can take over games at any time,” Green boasted. “It was good to just put the ball in his hands and let him determine what he wants to do. We know he can get to the free throw line, get to the rim, and kick to teammates. It’s just having guys plan off him, that type of offense is pretty fun to watch.”</p><p>Three assists and two midrange floaters from the two-time All-Star in the first four minutes had Green’s squad up for most of the game. Thankfully, the Pelicans did not display some of the worst habits from last season late in the 106-104 victory. New Orleans was up 14 points with under 14 minutes to play but needed a last-second stand from the reserves to send the Smoothie King Center fans home happy.</p><p>Not that it matters much in the long run. Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones, and CJ McCollum are healthy after calling it a day at halftime of at 12:30 Monday lunchtime tipoff. Only Daniel Theis from the starting five logged a minute in the second half. Green’s Pelicans have a few issues but getting Williamson on-court conditioning time was not a priority. Williamson’s commitment and ability to focus on development instead of rehabilitation this summer has been undeniable.</p><h2><b>Pelicans, Zion Williamson working with more options</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Zion-Williamson-in-the-huddle.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The offense was in good hands with Williamson. His first three assists came on the Pelicans’ first three possessions. Then came two ten-foot floaters from Williamson to break down the defensive wall around the restricted area. Murray might have been named the nominal point guard but Point Zion was running the show in the Smoothie King Center. The Magic had no countermeasures that could slow the Pelicans in the first half.</p><p>That’s the first step of progress for a team trying to play as much as possible without a traditional center.</p><p>“I just think overall it was significant to see all our guys take steps to improve, Zion included,” Green explained. “Just the maturity of this group being around them now for the fourth year. They’re all doing little things, working the margins to help us be a better team. To help them come back more prepared, more ready to attack the season.”</p><p>Williamson showed off an expanded offensive game but was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVzUGvnVXoY" rel="noopener">subdued after the win</a>. It is just the preseason after all.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
22.9	5.8	5.0	0.7	1.1

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
22.9	5.8	5.0	0.7	1.1

Zion Williamson

Latest Zion Williamson News

Pelicans get real on 2 issues holding back Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram

Pelicans’ Herb Jones hit with surprising role change next to Zion Williamson

Pelicans’ Zion Williamson details key difference between Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum

Zion Williamson, Ja Morant get urgent message about 2028 Olympics

Pelicans’ Willie Green credits Zion Williamson’s preseason success to conditioning

Zion
Williamson