March 2015 New Orleans Pelicans Wiretap

Monty Williams Confident In Return As Pelicans' Coach

Apr 26, 2015 3:42 PM

Monty Williams said he is 100 percent confident in returning as the New Orleans Pelicans' head coach.

“I’m confident that I am going to be the coach of this team because Mickey and I talk all the time,” Williams said. “And that has never come up. So I don’t think of anything else. I think of coaching the team…

“To me, to have this job is a blessing and privilege. I don’t want to go anywhere. I like what we have here. I like the building it the right way.”

Williams will be in the final year of his contract next season and there have not been contract extension talks, according to sources.

Marc J. Spears/Yahoo! Sports

Tags: New Orleans Pelicans, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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Anthony Davis To Receive $140M+ Max Offer From Pelicans

Apr 26, 2015 3:36 PM

The New Orleans Pelicans will offer Anthony Davis a max contract this offseason that could exceed $140 million.

The exact figure of the contract will depend on how the cap increases in 2016, but the Pelicans will offer Davis the maximum allowed.

The Pelicans will have until Oct. 31 to convince Davis to commit to the franchise long-term.

Because Davis was elected by the fans to start in February's All-Star Game, and since he is expected to earn All-NBA first-team honors when voting results are announced soon, New Orleans will have the ability to include a provision in the deal that entitles Davis to start his max deal at 30 percent of the league's salary cap as opposed to a mere 25 percent provided he is an All-Star starter or makes All-NBA next season as well.

 

Davis has the option of signing a shorter extension to preserve some flexibility for his options in free agency.

Marc Stein/ESPN

Tags: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Report: Referee Would Have Called Foul On Curry Shot If He Had Missed

Apr 24, 2015 5:47 PM

Stephen Curry sent Game 3 into overtime with a game-tying three-pointer when Marreese Speights recovered Curry's previous attempt. Curry appeared to get fouled as he released the shot (Vine).

According to sources, referees explained that a foul would have been called if Curry had missed the three-point attempt. Curry would have then had to make all three free throws to extend the game.

The Golden State Warriors ultimately won the game in overtime.

The NBA said that while a foul should have been called on Anthony Davis, referees also missed a travel by Curry on his previous shot attempt.

Marcus Thompson/San Jose Mercury News

Tags: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Pelicans, NBA, NBA Playoffs

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Draymond: Focus Is To Just Make Anthony Davis Take Tough Shots

Apr 21, 2015 10:51 AM

Draymond Green is one of the NBA's most versatile defenders, but Anthony Davis represents a special challenge for him in the Golden State Warriors' first round series against the New Orleans Pelicans.

“It’s tough–most guys I give up length to who I guard, most of them aren’t as quick as me, though," said Green. "He’s both. Special athlete, man. So it’s always tough because he’s the not the type that’s really trying to back me down; he’s going to face up every time.

“And he uses his speed to his advantage. But even if I cut him off, he’s so long, he’ll still try to shoot over the top.

“But that’s what you have to make him do, though. You have to to make him take tough shots with you in between him and the basket. When he’s getting dunks and lay-ups, he’s unstoppable. But if you can make him tough shots with you in between you and the basket, you’ve got a much better chance of stopping him.

“That was my focus the entire night, just trying to make him tough shots. If he hits them, he hits them.”

Green hopes to eventually wear down Davis each game.

”You’re making him take those tough shots, eventually he’ll wear down. Once he started to wear down, those tough shots don’t go in as easily. And that’s really what you want to do as a defender.

“It’s a 48-minute marathon. It’s not a 12-minute race. For 48 minutes you’ve got to continue to grind and grind and grind.

“At some point he’ll wear down and those tough shots won’t fall as consistently.”

Tim Kawakami/San Jose Mercury News

Tags: Golden State Warriors, New Orleans Pelicans, NBA, NBA B-Ball IQ, NBA Playoffs

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Anthony Davis Hopes To Be In Conversation With Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson

Apr 20, 2015 2:09 PM

Anthony Davis said he wants to be mentioned with NBA greats such as Bill Russell.

"When you mention basketball or NBA and you talk about greatest players, I definitely want to be in that conversation," Davis said. "You mention Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, all those guys. I want to be in that conversation."

Davis scored 35 points in the New Orleans Pelicans' loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 on Saturday.

"I'm more focused on Golden State, what they're trying to do to stop us and what we're trying to do to stop them," Davis said. "But you do think about Bill Russell and what he did here, what he did for the league. He led the way for guys like us today.

"I went in the Bill Russell Room, and me and (a Pelicans media relations official) were saying (as they looked at the picture) that he looks so much younger. He and I were in the same predicament. It's just cool when you see something like that."

Sam Amick/USA Today

Tags: Anthony Davis, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, New Orleans Pelicans, NBA, NBA B-Ball IQ

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Tyreke Evans Questionable For Game 2 With Knee Contusion

Apr 19, 2015 3:16 PM

Tyreke Evans has been diagnosed with a left knee contusion, the New Orleans Pelicans announced Sunday.

Evans is questionable to play for the Pelicans in Game 2 of their first round series against the Golden State Warriors.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Tyreke Evans, New Orleans Pelicans, NBA, NBA Injury

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Demps Refutes Pelicans' Front Office, Coaching Staff Received Playoff Mandate

Apr 16, 2015 7:05 PM

Dell Demps refuted a report that the New Orleans Pelicans received a "playoffs or else" mandate from the team's ownership.

"'I am hoping to keep the focus on the Pelicans and our playoff run,'' Demps said Thursday.''To answer the question, I did not receive a mandate to make the playoffs from ownership or anyone else. That conversation did not happen. Our ownership group has been very supportive, patient and given us all the resources to be successful."

'There is no truth to that story, there is no mandate issued,'' Greg Bensel said in an email exchange on Thursday.

The Pelicans reached the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference at 45-37.

John Reid/The Times Picayune

Tags: New Orleans Pelicans, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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2015 NBA Playoffs First Round Matchups

Apr 16, 2015 12:20 AM

The following are the matchups for the first round of the 2015 NBA Playoffs.

Western Conference
1. Golden State Warriors vs. 8. New Orleans Pelicans
2. Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks
3. Los Angeles Clippers vs. 6. San Antonio Spurs
4. Portland Trailblazers vs. 5. Memphis Grizzlies

Eastern Conference
1. Atlanta Hawks vs. 8. Brooklyn Nets
2. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 7. Boston Celtics
3. Chicago Bulls vs. 6. Milwaukee Bucks
4. Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, NBA, NBA Playoffs

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Jrue Holiday Playing For First Time Since January

Apr 10, 2015 7:57 PM

Jrue Holiday is returning from a stress reaction to his lower right leg for the first time since January.

Holiday will play on Friday against the Phoenix Suns on a restriction of 15 minutes and come off the bench.

''I feel like Jrue (Holiday) is a guy that has worked his tail off to get to this point,'' Monte Williams said. ''He is excited to get back on the floor. We are glad to have him back.He means so much to our team, not just to the defense but his offense ability also. It's going to take him some time and he doesn't have a lot of time, but to get him back into the rotation is huge.''

John Reid/Times Picayune

Tags: Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans, NBA, NBA Injury

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