Spike Lee spends $100K on 1970 Knicks memorabilia!
Panel:
First Half
Monologue: Zion is already giving Pelicans their swag
Contrast all of that to now:
What should we expect from Zion in Year 1?
“They’re pretty high. It’s going to be exciting to see him compete against guys at the same level that we feel like he’s been at. He’s been playing at a professional level for a year now and when we see him against that same kind of competition, it’s going to be great to see. He has a lot of edge. Being ROY is not far fetched. The sky’s the limit for him” – Pippen
“I’m concerned about two things: His shot and you’ve got to keep your body and your mind right. For a guy with these supersized expectations, it’s going to be extremely difficult” – Friedell
“He’s already dealt with pressure” – Nichols
“It’s just about staying healthy. The offense has to run through Zion. It’s going to help him develop fast. We may see him on the All-Star team this year” – Pippen
Does Lonzo’s shot look better?
“It does. He’s taking the ball more up. It will help him in the long run” – Pippen
“It’s cleaner. There’s not a hitch anymore. Lonzo seems to be listening to himself” – Friedell
Scottie, how does this compare to travel in your era?
Via leafsquad/IG:
“Working on it” – Pippen
Does this mean Klay’s jumper will be even wetter?
Via klaythompson/IG:
Expect CP3 to put up similar numbers to last stint in OKC?
Crazy how life comes full circle!! Blessed 🙏🏾 #Year15 pic.twitter.com/oENLJcTSMw
— Chris Paul (@CP3) October 1, 2019
Impressed by these vets?
Spurs asst coach Tim Duncan runs wind sprints with players
New Spurs assistant coach Tim Duncan, dressed out in his practice gear, runs with players after practice. He’s the guy on the far end, closest to the wall. @DavidFloresKENS pic.twitter.com/1h2bATrl9p
— David Flores (@DavidFloresKENS) October 2, 2019
Moving on…
Beal on potential extension: “It’s not the money factor here”
It’s extension worth $111M!
See Beal with Wizards long-term?
“He hasn’t achieved any success there from a team’s standpoint so I think he wants to keep his options open. The road doesn’t look too promising going forward. If it was me, I’d go ahead and sign [the extension]” – Pippen
“Take the money that’s in front of you and play for the future” – Friedell
Nichols and Friedell:
Second Half
Will expectations meet reality for Clippers defensively?
Via The LA Times (Andrew Greif):
“It’s going to be scary. I think, for the first time, people are going to be excited to watch the defensive side as opposed to the offensive team.” – Paul George
“It’ll be lived up to. They created a culture last year of playing hard on both ends of the court and mostly on the defensive end with a guy like Patrick Beverley. Now you add two of the top defenders in the league. They’re going to be a team that’s going to get off to a good start. I see them taking teams out of games early based on their defense” – Pippen
“You have Doc Rivers who has won a title and knows exactly how he wants to structure his team to play defensively” – Friedell
Wiggins: “I feel like I was on the rise my first 3 years and then some changes were made”
Wiggins going to silence critics this season?
Friedell:
“You can’t allow a new player to come in and stop your development. He has to continue to develop. If you’re trying to be a star in this league, you can’t say stuff like, ‘Jimmy Butler slowed me down.'” – Pippen
James Johnson fails Heat training camp conditioning test
Ira Winderman (South Florida Sun Sentinel) reports that Johnson has been in touch with Heat trainers and is working out on his own at this point
Statement from the team:
“Because he fell short of our conditioning requirements. Once he fulfills and maintains those requirements, he will rejoin the team”
Discussion:
NBA power rankings & breakout candidates for all 30 teams
Kerr on D-Lo: “He’ll be able to play with and without the ball for us”
Who’s the primary ball handler for Warriors? | Is pressure off Warriors this season?
Discussion:
Buckets
Jonquel Jones: First player with 30 pts, 15 reb in WNBA Finals game
Stat line: 32 pts and 18 rebs in Game 2 (Only the 3rd player to do it in a WNBA playoff game)
Grudge?
Coach Pop takes shots at Marcus Morris for reneging on Spurs contract
Supermax
Bigger Giannis story: Refusing to talk free agency or working on shot with Korver?
Ayton: “I’m definitely shooting the three this year”
Smart for Ayton to attempt more threes this season?
“Yes it’s smart. You want to see some growth in a player year in, year out. But don’t forget who you are, stick with what you know: The dunk” – Pippen
“He can be dominant down low” – Friedell
Sneak peek of what we’ll see from Zion this season?
Lonzo to Zion – off the backboard! 💪#WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/pheZfRJ1Vt
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 2, 2019
“I thought I’d never say this but: I can’t wait to watch the Pelicans play” – Pippen
“I just can’t wait for Zion vs Zach LaVine at the dunk contest in Chicago. That is going to be awesome” – Friedell
