The New Orleans Pelicans just showed you why they are an ELITE defensive team | Zion almost perfect

Zion Williamson was nearly perfect for the New Orleans Pelicans in their win over the Detroit Pistons but Jake Madison doesn't think that's the biggest story about how the Pels went 2-0 over the weekend. The elite defense against the Miami Heat and the overall smart basketball play helped get victories while Brandon Ingram remains out with a knee injury.
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[@rome8180]

My big worry is with how tight the 5-8 spots are. The Pels have a BRUTAL stretch coming up. Losing Ingram now was bad timing. They need to go at least .500 in these games because the teams behind them are going to be gunning for their spot in the standings.

[@theamazingyoungguy5572]

I wouldn’t worry, honestly. There’s reason I hear you but I definitely wouldn’t

[@johnnywolfdalcour3983]

Don’t worry, we’ll be fine friend. 🙏🏽

[@olee8431]

It doesn’t matter, the goal is to make the playoffs. At that point all the teams are 0-0..

[@rome8180]

@@olee8431 of course it matters. Avoiding the play-in is super important. So are matchup. New Orleans should want the Clippers or Minnesota.

[@_spectacular_insight2527]

It would be so fun to see this team get home court in the first round. SKC gonna be electric down the stretch. Keep up the good show Jake

[@silverwolf2761]

The Pelicans being an elite defensive team is not something you expected to see when we first got Zion or even a year in. It's pretty impressive.

[@pelsandwhistles]

Ready for this 6 game home stand! Hoping to see the fellas play with a sense of urgency at home, which I believe CJ commented on not long ago.

[@islandehawaii]

Keep it up Pels!! Zion killin em.... CJ doing pretty well too. Just keep up the defense!!

[@NELLYWILLAMSON871]

I love this team

[@The_English_Pels_Fan]

Half a game off the 4th seed and a winning weekend...I'll take that! 👏🏀🇬🇧

[@jodyharrison6029]

“Where are my buttons here?” 😂 love ya Jake.

[@tedracovington3195]

Thank u for saying that about Ingram first. 😂

[@godson3151]

All of the pelicans games should come on local tv like the saints game

[@henyahI144]

Playing this type of defense without Dyson is also amazing

[@RelMyers]

Fun time to be a Pelicans fan, indeed!

[@melvinmccraneyjr.2322]

Good show Jake Madison hope we continue to win most of these games coming up starting off with the win over OKC.hope Brandon gets well soon. Yes I am a Every Dayer!

[@VisualAFMedia]

Geaux Pels ⚜️

[@godson3151]

Our city deserves to be in the playoffs, I can’t imagine the nba FINALS IN NEW ORLEANS O WOW, how much media attention will the pelicans get

[@godson3151]

This is by far the best complete pelicans teams in franchise history, we have a deep bench, and with Zion running with the second group, o lawd different looks, we can get to the NBA FINALS GOD SPEED

[@tommyjones8290]

Jake, I have been saying for months on this channel that a commitment to defense was what the Pels needed. You pushed more 3's and a focus on offense as being more important. Now you finally see that the Pels defense is igniting this team, liking I have been saying. Brandon and CJ are the weakest defenders on the starting 5. Trey is a better defender than BI and this team will be more than okay until BI gets back. Willie's rotations have improved tremendously! This team can easily get the fourth spot but their next 5 of 6 games are going to be dog fights. I could see the Pels winning all six home games and the Smoothie King Center will be rocking! Shout out to Naji, Jose and Larry who are playing beautiful basketball right now. Go PELS!

[@itse6529]

Agreed. In fact the nance, zion ,Trey and Jose 4 man rotation is either 1st or 2nd net rtg in the league. They have both #1 and #2 4 man rotations in the league. Trey is in both of those rotations. Also Dys I’m sure is soon to return within maybe a week. Ik for the pistons game it was GTD if he was playing. Hopefully soon tho so he can get back to where he was before the playoffs. I do expect his shot to have changed and improved, being that he could only take standing shots. And after the pistons game, I don’t wanna doubt Trey because I know what he’s capable on any given night. I just don’t know if he can be consistent enough to hold our #5 spot.

[@nineteenct]

Let’s see Trey take on some good teams defensively before saying he’s firmly better than BI. If he shoots well on even middling defense he’ll be doing his part

[@rollspikegaming7459]

Zion is the weakest defender on the starting 5. stop meatriding Zion you talking like he's good defensively he only guards scrubs

[@itse6529]

@@rollspikegaming7459 ?? He gets switched on to the best guard/playmaker every game. For instance, he took on Kawhi 1on1 and held his ground. If you consider Kawhi a scrub,you’re definitely a casual and hater😂. Even locked down shai and Ant multiple times .And any “scrub” in the nba that you refer to is still 20 times better than you will ever be.

[@rollspikegaming7459]

@@itse6529 you only saw few possessions. I watched him get destroyed on switches, now stop with your meatriding and learn ball

[@adoniswillis3183]

Do an episode about seeding/matchups with the other teams… do we want to play this team or that one,which side of the bracket is better to play in.

[@gerryconstant4914]

Can the Pelicans go 7-4 in the 11 remaining games as they have the 4th toughest record left (the Suns have the hardest)? Tying the Clippers with 51 wins give the Pels the 4th seed & home court advantage because they have a 3-1 record against LAC. This mean they have to go 3-2 at home against OKC, BOSTON, BUCKS, SUNS twice. Trey is playing better, despite not hitting his shots, by his rebounding, defense & spacing the court.

[@kevinjohnson6262]

Go Pels !!!!!

[@lawrencerussell630]

Hope you feel better Jake

[@lawrencerussell630]

I like the way they playing just wanna see a little bit better defensive energy

[@bhiderNola]

If we had a consistent TM3 all year we would be battling for the top seed. Off season and miss season injury hurt.

[@godson3151]

Our defense is different and it’s a match up nightmare, that’s a lot of pieces, BI,CJ,and Zion can give us 30 a night come playoffs, but the bench can easy give us 50 to 60 points

[@MikeSlimm504]

They have an elite defensive player. Let's not get carried away.

[@turbonola]

Yeah but they play really good team defense.

[@MikeSlimm504]

@turbonola That's debatable. They have moments throughout the game where they flash but definitely not consistently enough for an "elite" or "very good" title. This week will be a better barometer, and the playoffs are the ultimate test.

[@horaceharris1855]

They will never be elite unless if they have someone that can protect the rim and Zion let's be honest here he cannot hold those centers that are offensive oriented especially close to the basket he's going to get bodied in fact we don't have anyone with height 6'8 or taller that can play competent defense

[@turbonola]

@MikeSlimm504 not debatable because numbers don't lie. Also I said really good, not elite or very good. Herb is elite and he is the engine that make our defense really good.

[@vander-demigod]

Every dayer! 🇵🇭

[@blurplecube2435]

When is Himgram returning

[@keano1416]

I heard its only 2 weeks on espn

[@godson3151]

Let’s go pelicans, I been a fan since the hornets BD AND CHRIS PAUL DAYS, if you tell me you put this team around AD OR CP, we what have won a championship, a long time ago

[@neuronuous1]

Pelicsns has got 3 wing players besides AI, THAT SHOOT THE THREE at a good percentage.Naji, is not missing ,Herb, is not missing, Tre is not missing.AI preoccupation with his 2 point game, kind of adds up to harder work for less pokntsGot to eork smart against the great teams. Let Zion amd JV, be the 2point gurus

[@marcelbonds1279]

We're going to need another real center.

[@RonJohn63]

12:10 But can we replace one $33M player with two $15M players, each of whom are 3/5 as good as BI (and freeing up $3M for Trey Murphy)?

[@Antonius1911]

I like watching these guys win but with a wall built and forcing shooters to shoot has worked to stop them. Z turns ball over, teams run the other way. How do we overcome this?

[@Keith-e2i]

Smart Money says ‘no’ to Pelicans to win the championship…. 1. Celtics: +200 2. Nuggets: +300 (W) 3. Clippers: +600 (W) 4. Bucks: +700 5. Suns: +2000 (W) 6. Thunder: +2000 (W) 7. Mavericks: +2500 (W) 8. 76ers: +2800 9. Knicks: +3000 10. Heat: +3500 11. T’Wolves: +3500 (W) 12. Lakers: +4000 (W) 13. Cavaliers: +4000 14. Warriors: +4500 15. PELICANS: +7500 (W) 16. Kings: +10000 (W) 17. Pacers: +20000 18. Magic: +40000 19. Raptors: [phone]. Jazz: +100000 (W) Still no respect from the people who put their money on the line. ** I might put a C-Note or two on some combination of the Pelicans, Magic, and Pacers just for S&G’s. ** Quote was from earlier today before today's games.

[@rollspikegaming7459]

why would I put my money on the pelicans? they would be a 2nd round exit atleast. let's not get ahead of ourselves. y'all our delusionals

[@Keith-e2i]

@@rollspikegaming7459 The payoff is worth the risk. If the right path can be carved (for instance: Clippers - Lakers - Minnesota and someone in the East can knock off Boston) there's a fighting chance for a big payday on a small risk. That's why they call it gambling. My biggest concern is if the big guy can perform against the big boys...we know he can feast against the bottom feeders. And, how quickly BI can get in game shape. We know a healthy BI can perform in the postseason; we have no idea about the other guy.

[@TSCOTT-oz5vy]

Need to work on those turnovers and free throws. Lazy passes and not controlling the rock need to stop. It's playoff time NOW!

[@LuffyZoroSanji97]

Every dayer

[@bernardguste4032]

Can we really have Murphy going 0-10 and 2-12 this often from three this close to the playoffs? Why are we not letting Herb or even Ryan taking more shots?

[@horaceharris1855]

I saw the same thing as well I was not very happy with his performance window shots are not falling he should just cut to the basket and give other players a chance at the three

[@BHRockaChaw]

The reality has always been that shooting slumps just have be played through. May damage control a bit, but Trey needs to shoot to break the slump.

[@horaceharris1855]

@@BHRockaChaw you can break yourself out of that slump without just chunking up a bunch of threes he could cut the basket if you lay up dunks or probably do a few mid range shots and there's also means that he can help out the team to and that's getting assist, getting rebounds and playing good defense which is he's been doing as of late

[@BHRockaChaw]

@@horaceharris1855 Theoretically, that could work. I've never seen it.

[@plids59]

Hi Jake

[@demcuntryboyz5447]

Jake, I love ya, but we gotta come up with another phrase other than "get into" when talking about someone 😂 #pause

[@ClowBwas]

comment, mr. Jake :)

[@rollspikegaming7459]

Without Herb Jones this team is a play in team

[@denzelhorton2257]

Every dayer comment

[@miltonmac]

Great defense will not beat great offense in the playoffs.

[@504boi504]

Comment

[@BigJa15]

Pistons and Heat were both shorthanded

[@rollspikegaming7459]

Zion only good againts scrubs, his stats aren't even better than Sabonis. 🤣

[@alkebulanlion6198]

Bro you high Zion cooked the kings and sabonis Zion last year was in the mvp race he finally getting back to shape fat boy

[@jinxxx336]

Clippers are scrubs I guess. Zion doesn't care enough about stats to have good numbers u can see that when he plays. He plays to win and for the team. The stats don't show everything about what he brings to the court and the gravity he has everytime he is on the floor.

[@rollspikegaming7459]

@@jinxxx336 what he brings is one dimensional playstyle..the Heat exposed his weakness. a good Zone defense team will eat him alive he can't shoot.

[@JeromeJohnson-s6g]

Who gives af as long as the team won

[@rollspikegaming7459]

@@JeromeJohnson-s6g shut up with the excuses, he got exposed. teams in the playoffs would get the blueprint out of that game. Zion ain't good againts a good zone defense team. he's one dimensional and relies heavily on shooters. if he can't score and the shooters have bad nights the team struggles. he has no jumpshot he'll average less than 10ppg in the playoffs

[@Chris_Gray]

Comment