Break was breaking down all the biggest NBA storylines, so the Heat Check. The Heat Check was Crista Crak, the best podcast covering all the drama around the association. Up next is the New Orleans Pelicans. They add Jordan Hawkins from Villanova. Not a lot of key substractions, really, I don't haven't found any that you can find to be meaningful. New Orleans future hopes, just like Memphis, rests on one man,
Zion first time as a pro. He seems to be entering the season that he has taken his training protocol seriously. That's he's about as healthy as they've ever said that he's been, at least for a guy who's missed about half of his career so far. So that's like a step. That's one step. Apparently he's been eating well, he's got a nutritionist, he's been listening to the heat I said
this two years ago. As soon as Zion figures that a way to limit his portions and find some way to take his conditioning seriously, maybe Zion wist stay on the court. If he plays a full season, the Pelicans are going to be dangerous. They're not gonna ever hurt for scoring while he's in the game because he makes plays as soon as he's out there every night. There's a reason why the Ringer named him one of the top five players that's going to define a season. What
is the problem with the New Orleans Pelicans, You might ask? Defense? His defense is a real, real problem. This roster construction very strange. Through two preseason games, Zion has looked, shall we say, a little lost, like a little lost on defense. Is he's not hustle, he's losing his man regularly, still doesn't box out. You know, same old Zion shit that Stan Van Gundy used to get mad at when he was the head coach, like this guy supposed to be
now the five. When stanman again, he was like, oh yeah, that's bullshit. Zion not playing defense. That's why we're putting them at the point guard position. It's point Zion. Ah. All the joy in my life is point Zion. No, no, no, Now, Willie Green has Zion playing the five six' Six zion playing. Center his off ball defense has been an absolute. Disaster it has been messy as. Fuck are we shocked about? This?
Though like, no his, defense or his lack of, defense to be, exact has been the boat anchor for The New Orleans pelicans for a long ass time where they have to add new players to the team in order to try to protect The zion on, defense and it is impacting wins and losses in a way that a lot of people are reluctant to. Admit zion has played one hundred and fourteen games for The, pelicans and the record When zion is on the floor is get, this
fifty seven and fifty. Seven that's that's not what you want from your superstar guy that you took number one overall and that is not the only. Issue how about this? One him And Brandon. Ingram let's be, real you've seen, It you've watched. It it's NOT i don't think working the combo is forty six and forty seven when they're on the floor. Together SO i don't know how that works. EITHER i Like, BI i Like. Zion not SURE i
Like bi And. Zion you know What i'm. Saying it's like that couple where you're, like, OOH i Like, SARAH i Like. Marquis sarah And marquis not a. Fit uh THEY i don't know if they are really complimenting each. Other you know? What i'm SAYING i think they actually make each other. WORSE i think they're emphasizing each other's weaknesses and stifling each other's strengths at the same exact. TIME i think at this point we have enough evidence
to know that this does not. Work but but but not the ONLY i don't want to act Like i'm just banging On New. Orleans i'm not like they're a fun, team and they were wildly successful When zion was not on the, floor and they were a play team and they came out with the. Suns so, Like i'm not trying to say The pelicans stink or. Anything but there's another problem as. Well there's fallout Over Aaron nelson oooh big man on, campus the head. Trainer he ran into
problems With zion to the point Where zion ghosted. Him he went To beaverton and he wasn't answering his phone. Calls now the guy got. Fired he was supposed to be like the, dude and now he's nowhere to be, found and no one knows. Why zion's favorite, Coach Teresa, weatherspon she has dipsetted peace Up atown. Down she has gone to THE. Wnba so there's like a little cultural instability stuff going on as well in terms of being
positive and accentuating the good things about The New Orleans. PELICANS. Cg McCollum certainly a good point guard for this. Team veteran has the ability to get buckets in the mid. Range he can shoot the. Three he's like a calming presence to this. Team valentchunis can rebound his ass. Off not a great, defender let's be, honest but good. Rebounder Herb jones absolute demon on the. Perimeter his, wingspan his, effort,
ridiculous his. Versatility love. Him Trey, murphy when healthy is a lynchpin of this, team little little piece of, information though not quite healthy right, now dealing with some niscus. Stuff Jose alvarado also awesome off the, bench dealing with some health. Stuff valuable players Like Dyson, daniels WHO i think can. Help not a great, shooter but he's coming. Around larry And Ash JUNIOR i think is a good
piece as. Well but here's the bottom. Line as you can, tell there's a lot of pieces that individually, great not so great. Together to, Date, Williamson ingram and McCollum have only played one hundred and seventy two minutes together as a. Whole all three have struggled with injuries and not having
a great track record with. That so you might think that The pelican season hinges completely on, injuries and it does to a, degree but it also depends on Whether zion And bi can cohabitate in the same, system AND i am guessing that one of them is gonna have to. Go let's move forward to my, squad my squad of The Southwest. Division it's not The San Antonio. Spurs that's everybody's.
Squad they Are america's, team let's be, honest And france's, team and probably every other country's team because When bayama is. Electric but we're not talking about. Them we're talking about The Houston rockets right. Now, Baby we're talking about some flowing right. Now they were twenty. Two they are your favorite twenty two and sixty team because they have overhauled the roster and overhauled the culture in about two seconds. Flat let's talk about their. Additions Huh fred Van, Fleet oh,
yeah breaks. Truck give him his. Money give that man his fucking. Money Dylan, brooks give him his. Money give that man his fucking. Money Amon thompson took him in the draft and then the steal baby at twenty a consensus top five pick that you get at the twenty twentieth. Slot in Cam, whitmore you could track kJ Martin, Uzman, gruba and the biggest, Subtraction Stephen. Silas his press conferences
were really something to. Behold THOUGH i have a lot of things to, SAY i don't think any of them are in my best, self but this is my, league past, team so many reasons WHY i love. THEM i couldn't really explain it without dedicating an entire show to. It but really it's like the, culture and it all starts with my. MAN i may Fucking Udoka portland stand, up let's.
Go you are the one setting the. Tone from the time he showed up In houston threw up the, shaker one on the pink and one on the, ah it's been nothing but exciting times for Emay udoka and The Houston. Rockets emy brings a world class defensive. Mindset we know that that's what he did when he was In, boston immediately turn those boys into some straight. Dogs he might Be coach of The year this. Year i'm not gonna. Lie this is a team that might go from twenty two.
WINS i don't know how many they need thirty. Six do they need thirty six for him to Win coach of The. YEAR i don't. Know but, listen he's got so many damn pieces to play with. Pause he's got so many damn players that have so many things they can do well even with the bad news from the. SUMMER. Kpj he's a. Bucket he's a. Bucket he's a. Bucket getting cut from the. TEAM i think that's addition by.
Subtraction this team is gonna be very fun to. Watch first of, all they did not Sign James, harden which would have been a massive. Mistake there was no chance he was coming on the. Team but you have a bunch of second year players on the. Roster you Got Tarry, easton who white, Love Jabari, smith WHO i think is gonna be an absolute low post mid post. Threat you Got Darius, Days you Got Jonathan, williams you Got Trevor. Hudgens you have four, Rookies Amon, thompson WHO i think
is about his verse as they. Come if you can get a jump, shot oh, boy you Got Cam, whitmore who have already talked about last. Episode can do so many damn, things probably gonna be the steal of the draft at least one of. Them you Have Michael, Mayer Jermaine. Samuels but then you add these third year Players Jalen, Green alpera And Shangoon Shang goon is like this, Unicorn
jocqulandell From Phoenix Nate. Hinton keep in, mind thirteen players formed the nucleus of one of the youngest teams in the. League Jay Shawn tate also fourth year. Player fourteen players were with three or less years of. Experience this is a chalk full team of fascinating players with a ton of length, athleticism could do a bunch of different. Things players THAT i particularly want to keep my eye On Jabari.
SMITH i think he takes a hugely Forward, listen, Man i'm gonna say, It, Okay Steven silas was not doing anything to add To Jabari smith's. Confidence in, FACT i think that whole energy was bringing the mood. Down nothing fell more reluctant in every moment Than Steven silas in
his little. iPad i just it was, painful bro it was, Painful and now you get Emy udoka that alone in terms of confidence, building Emay udoka, OOZES i can get any BITCH i, want and that is going to be translated to the floor And Jabari smith is going to learn from. That Alprin shangun is also set to. Improve now the question is does Emy udoka feel That Alprin
shangun can become a defensive. Monster we'll. See if he is not and he does not have the ability to play hard the way Emay udoka wants, him he will be, gone he will be. Out but he is a baby. Yokic that is what he does. Well he is a passing. Machine his BASKETBALL iq is super. High he sees lanes that very few players or big men have any vision or the ability to execute. On as for, Rookies i've
already said, THIS i am so high On Campbell. More IF i didn't already have a sleeper In Keyante george from My rookie of The, year it would be Cam witmore because he has been. ELECTRIC i am particularly impressed with his. Highlights he can grab a, rebound take the ball coast to, coast lay it, in dunk, it just put his nuts in someone's face and just do. It with a cold hearted. Assassin, look he's gonna be very. Good that boy. GOOD i don't know how many games
The Houston rockets are gonna win this. YEAR i really, don't BUT i know it's gonna be. Fun Like, okay See Lake, pasteam that's so last. Year it's The. Rockets it is The rockets this. Year if you don't bring YOUR a game to The, rockets you are getting in L they are going to run you out of the gym and it is not gonna be very. Fun and you're gonna go To James harden's restaurant and eat that flog gras and that steak hold net l on your. Face