Halftime...Kind Of

Dylan Mckneely • February 19, 2024

"You're saying we are eleven games over .500, and I'm saying we've got to learn how to maintain leads. So, if we were able to maintain leads, we'd probably be fourteen, fifteen, or sixteen games over .500. So I think we are in an okay spot, but when we come back from break, we've got to be able to fine-tune some of the small nuances of the game." This quote by Zion Williamson is the perfect overview of the pre-All-Star break Pelicans. Blown leads fundamental mind lapses, yet still good enough to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference. More than halfway through the season, the Pelicans are one of the more challenging teams in the league to understand because some of their biggest strengths can also be their biggest weakness, depending on the night. Experiencing exhilarating highs (see 30+ point back-to-back victories over the Kings and Warriors) and debilitating lows (see 20+ point back-to-back losses to Thunder and Bucks), the season thus far has us asking one question:" Would the real New Orleans Pelicans please stand up?" It's halftime(kind of) now, so let's look at what's working, and what needs work.

Point Zion Is The Best Zion

The Zion that posts up is a star-level player, but the Zion that initiates the offense is a superstar-level player. In three of his six appearances before the all-star break, Zion scored 30+ points three times. With a skillset like Zion's, this probably isn't as surprising as him averaging six assists simultaneously! Since becoming the primary ball handler, Zion's scoring has gone up, and so have his playmaking opportunities, which has led to an uptick in his assists per game. Not only has Zion's numbers benefited from him being the primary offensive initiator, but also has The Bayou Sniper's Trey Murphy III and Jordan Hawkins. Trey is shooting a blistering 40.5% on three-point shots created by Zion Williamson, and Jordan is not far behind at 39.6%. One of the more deadly sets that the Pels have often deployed in the Point Zion era is the ghost screen-to-flare screen action often run between Murphy III and Zion. This action creates quite a problem for the defense, having to choose between letting a guy that shoots 40% on passes made by Zion get an open three if you help too hard or overreacting to the screen and giving Zion a straight-line drive to the rim. Point Zion creates the space needed for the shooters around him to do what they do best. It also places CJ McCollum in the more familiar scoring position on the floor. Zion, as the primary facilitator, is already showing positive returns in a small sample size.

"CJ from three....BANG!" - Mike Breen(probably)

After an extended summer break due to the Pelicans' inability to make the playoffs, CJ McCollum has come back  on a tear from three. CJ has bypassed the "make them respect you" level of shooting from deep to the "don't let him see the rim" level. Out of players who have shot 300 or more threes thus far this season, CJ is tied for second place in percentages, shooting a blistering 42% from deep. CJ's ability to space the floor allows Zion and midrange Marxman Brandon Ingram to operate inside the three-point line. McCollum has made a career of being a tough shot-maker from the midrange area, but extending his range has led to a more efficient midrange output from McCollum, shooting 50.9% from two, which is well over his 48.7% career average. CJ's ability to reinvent himself in year thirteen shows his level of commitment not only to winning but also to winning as a New Orleans Pelican, becoming what the Pels need most... a knockdown shooter.

Herb Jones = First Half MVP

From guarding the opposing team's primary scoring threat to hitting timely corner three-pointers, Herb Jones has been the most valuable Pelican thus far this season. Jones's ability to cover his assignment and take on teammates' assignments mid-position without blinking is the primary catalyst for the Pelicans' seventh-ranked defense rating. Not to be outdone by his world-renowned defensive abilities, Jones is hovering around the exclusive 50/40/90 club, shooting 49% from the field, 40% from three, and 86% from the free throw line. Jones is becoming much more than a defensive specialist, making his four-year / $53,827,872 deal one of the most team-friendly contracts in the league. Often the odd man out when the talent level of this team is being quantified, one could argue that the New Orleans Pelicans' stars can be stars because of Jones' ability to cover up their mistakes on defense and become a deadly space creator on offense. Herb Jones is my first half Most Valuable Pelican.

The Adjustments

Paging The Bayou Snipers

Jordan Hawkins and Trey Murphy III have hit a shooting slump. While Hawkins' lack of playing time could be a primary contributor to his dip in shooting percentage(don't even get me started), as a professional player, the opportunities are few and must be capitalized on when they arrive. Murphy III's slump has affected his entire game, often looking stagnant on the offensive end and becoming the primary point of an attack on the defensive end. Hawkins and TM3 are all world shooters. If the Pelicans have any chance at a deep playoff run, they'll need them to be every bit of that down the stretch.


The Curious Case Of Zion And Brandon

Statistically speaking, Williamson and Ingram have the worst Net rating(2.1) of the top 6 teams in the West. With that being said, the Pelicans should not choose between Brandon Ingram or Zion Williamson. Instead, there should be an honest conversation on roles and complete buy-in. As I previously stated, the New Orleans Pelicans are at their best when Zion is the primary ball handler and facilitator. I want to take it a step further and say when in the game, Williamson should be the primary focal point of the Pelicans' offense. The gravity Zion's presence causes in itself should create efficient looks for Ingram and the rest of the team. Ingram is in line for a significant payday; one could argue that the best way to get that payday is by showing that, like CJ McCollum, winning matters more than shot attempts and touches for Ingram.


Shoot More Three's

The Pelicans are eighth in the NBA in three-point percentage at 37.7% but twenty-third in three-point attempts per game at 32.1. This can be attributed to multiple things, including the need for lineups featuring shooters. Coach Green's commitment to playing defense first lineups hinders the Pelicans' ability to deploy the arsenal of shooters they employ fully. Going into the final stretch of the season, as games get more competitive due to the jockeying for playoff position, the Pelicans could benefit from relieving the paint presence Zion faces on a night-in and night-out basis by willingly committing to a lineup that includes Hawkins, Murphy III, and McCollum and to a lesser extent Matt Ryan. Another factor could be your primary scorer's desire to be midrange and paint guys. Will Coach Green adjust and move forward, or will we run the risk of watching an often-injured Zion play basketball in a phone booth?

In Conclusion

The New Orleans Pelicans currently hold the sixth place in the Western Conference, with a 33-22 record. Achieving a fifty-win season for the first time since 2007-2008 is possible with a few minor adjustments. However, the task won't be easy, as they only have seven matches left against non-playoff teams out of their final twenty-seven games. The Pelicans will be facing the young and energetic Houston Rockets on Thursday night, in their journey towards achieving fifty wins and securing a playoff spot. Let's go Pelicans!The Pelicans sit in the sixth spot of the West with a 33-22 record. We could look at the first fifty-win New Orleans professional basketball team since 2007-2008 with a few minor adjustments. With only seven of their final twenty-seven games against none playoff teams, it will be a challenging feat to accomplish. The journey towards fifty wins and an outright playoff bid continues Thursday night against the young, energetic Houston Rockets. Let's Geaux Pels!

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Lions Dominate: No. 22 Southeastern's 49-0 Homecoming Victory Over Northwestern State

By Drake LeBlanc • October 20, 2025
Homecoming in Hammond, America The SLU Lions put on a show for the Homecoming crowd Saturday night at Strawberry Stadium, dominating Northwestern State 49–0 in the 70th meeting between the longtime rivals. The win marked Southeastern’s 15th straight victory in the series, pushing their all-time record against the Demons to 41–29. The Lions were in control from the start, scoring 7 total touchdowns and piling up 402 yards of total offense while holding Northwestern State to just 120 total yards. Quarterbacks Kyle Lowe and Carson Camp combined for 220 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air, while Southeastern’s rushing attack added 182 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. Brandon Hayes got a touchdown for the special teams as well with an 83 yard kickoff return. The win capped off a festive Homecoming weekend in Hammond, America. Friendship Circle was packed for the tailgate, where fans enjoyed live music from The Chee Weez, food vendors, and a great homecoming parade celebrating the Lion Up Community. Many alumni and students made their way from the tailgate into Strawberry Stadium to witness the Lions’ most dominant performance of the season. As an alum myself, I loved seeing the University buy into the Homecoming festivities this year with great entertainment and an electric atomosphere. Head Coach Frank Scelfo emphasized earlier in the week how important homecoming is for the university, noting that for many alumni, this is the only game of the year they get to attend. After the game, he praised his team for delivering for the homecoming crowd and giving our fans something to be proud of. Lion Up LeBlanc’s Players of the Game Offense – Deantre “The Jet” Jackson: Jackson continued to live up to his nickname, finding the end zone three times. Deantre had two touchdowns on the ground and one through the air, totaling 67 yards on just a handful of touches. His early spark set the tone for a long night for the Demon defense. Defense – Jakyri Jones: Jones anchored the Lion defense with seven total tackles (four solo), helping lead a unit that forced five sacks and nine tackles for loss. Southeastern’s defense suffocated the Demons all evening, allowing only 24 rushing yards on 30 attempts. Looking Ahead As impressive as the atmosphere was, I can only hope this energy carries beyond homecoming weekend. The Lions have proven they can contend with anyone in the FCS, and if they continue to play like this, more alumni and students should want to pack Strawberry Stadium every single home game. The Lions are putting an exceptional product on the field, it's our time to do our part as fans to match that energy, fill the stands, and keep the train rolling! Next up, Southeastern (5–2, 3–0 Southland) hits the road for another conference matchup against Houston Christian University. Stay tuned for my pre-game report later this week. Where to find me? X: @LionUpLeBlanc You can also see me on the weekly Louisian Gameday show, previewing all the College Football in Louisiana! LION UP!

New Orleans Saints vs Chicago Bears 2025 Week 7 Recap

By Greyson Jenkins • October 19, 2025
New Orleans Saints 14 - 26 Chicago Bears The Saints somehow found a way to have a more upsetting loss than their horrific loss to the Seahawks earlier this season. They were bad across all sides of the ball, plain and simple. Spencer Rattler might have had the worst game of his career, and Dennis Allen looked like the best DC in the league. For Spencer Rattler and Saints fans in the year 2025, that may be the worst outcome possible. The Positives This is going to be quick, because there are only two positives that stand out to me. Chris Olave. Chase Young. Two players that are clearly solid building pieces for this team in the future. Chris Olave had a huge bounce back game after his tough performance last week, in which he had multiple drops. He turned in those drops for two touchdowns in this one, something Olave had never previously done in his career, which is a great sign for this team’s future. Although Olave had those two massive touchdowns, I really wish the Saints tried to get him more involved both earlier and later in the game like they did last week. There are rumors going around the NFL and social media that the Saints and Chris Olave are working on an extension, and if true, Chris Olave may have earned himself a few extra million dollars today. Chase Young has only played two games for the team this year, as he suffered a calf injury before the week one matchup with the Cardinals. That being said, in the two games he has played, last week and today, he has definitely made an impact for this team. In this game he batted down two passes at the line, and had a half sack shared with Bryan Bresee. These numbers aren’t jaw dropping statlines that the top edges in the league may put up, but Chase was providing a great amount of push on his side. The problem is, most times Chase Young is getting push, Chris Rumph, Carl Granderson, or Cam Jordan fail to do so and Caleb Williams was able to freely roll out the opposite way. If the Saints go into the draft and get a game wrecker edge to go across from him, the pass rush could immediately be set up for success next season. Right now, the pass rush does not look good at all, and they’re giving quarterbacks all the time in the world in the pocket, but Chase Young is a sign that there may be light on the horizon. The Negatives Spencer Rattler played his worst game of the season today, if not his whole career. He finished the game 20 of 32 for 233 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and a fumble lost. Woof. In the first half, before the final drive, Rattler was clearly flustered by the Bears defensive line getting constant pressure. He had less than 10 passing yards until that final drive where he found Olave two times for one massive gain and a touchdown. He then followed that up with another touchdown to Olave, but the struggles soon came back thereafter. Spencer Rattler threw multiple bad picks today, each being directly to a defender, and one being into triple coverage. Spencer Rattler is a guy that Saints fans wanted to be more aggressive, myself included, and he finally seemed to jump head first into an aggressive playstyle without any second thought. On his second interception, it appeared as though he could have ran for a few yards. Instead? He ended up waiting too long and practically directed Kevin Byard to the interception. In addition, he had a throw that should have been picked off, if it weren’t for two Bears defenders absolutely crushing one another and breaking up the pass. This performance heats up the Shough conversations, and they are now louder than they have ever been before. Spencer Rattler couldn’t afford an implosion game like he had today, and this performance on top of his record, really makes the Saints consider seeing what they have in the 40th overall pick (at least in my eyes). I’d completely understand if Kellen Moore and the team want to give him another shot next week against the Buccaneers, so that the team can see if this was merely a fluke performance. Spencer Rattler needs to find a midpoint between his aggressive and conservative playstyles to succeed in this league, and if he can’t, then I could see Tyler Shough’s number being called in the 504 soon. Both the offensive and defensive lines played terribly today for the Saints, with the run game not being able to pick up anything against the worst defense in terms of rushing yards per game, and the defense allowing over 6 yards per carry to both featured Bears running backs. Early in the game, Jaquan Brisker was able to get pressure through Taliese Fuaga, Juwan Johnson, and Alvin Kamara, and the Bears were able to get pressure on Rattler even when the Saints had max protection to help Rattler. It is inexcusable, nothing else to say. On top of this, Erik McCoy went down with an arm injury in this one, with Kellen Moore saying some concern is present. Without McCoy, this offensive line could have massive struggles on the inside, and put even more demand on the young tackles who don’t need more on their already full plate. The defense struggled against the run in this one, with holes that trucks could drive through being available for both Swift and Monangai multiple times. Not only that, but the holes opened up so quickly that the running backs were able to get to the second level at full speed, making it harder on the linebackers and secondary to make tackles. Let me say this too, it has nothing to do with the defensive line, but Justin Reid absolutely struggled all over the field today. Talking about run defense made me think of it, but Reid was terrible in run help and also had multiple blown coverages. If I had a say, I’d put in Jordan Howden, and get on the phone to move Reid for some draft compensation. I can’t believe I am having to write about him again, but Blake Grupe missed another kick. Is he the reason the Saints lost the game? No, but he surely isn’t someone any fan or player involved with this team should trust to go out there and help win them games. Yes, the kick was from over 50 yards out. Yes, the weather wasn’t great. It doesn’t matter anymore. He has been given his chance to clean it up and he has failed. Kellen Moore and Co. need to do something to apply pressure this week, whether that be giving Charlie Smyth a real shot or bringing in some kickers for tryouts. It may not solve all of the Saints issues, but it would at least mean that Kellen Moore does not accept mediocrity and constant mistakes. Kellen Moore did not have a good game as a playcaller. He had a great two drives on the two drives that ended in touchdowns, but had numerous questionable decisions sprinkled throughout today. First of all, running inside on third and long is very uninspiring, and makes me lack the trust he has in Rattler. However, he decided not to run on third and fourth down when the Saints needed less than a yard on their final offensive possession of the game, which tells me he didn’t trust the run game. Additionally, Kellen Moore has failed to truly get Devaughn Vele involved in any game this season, which makes no sense considering they invested draft compensation in him when the team needs nothing but more draft picks. If you trade for someone, especially a fourth rounder, you need to make them a part of your gameplan. Kellen Moore has showed some promise, and by no means is he the reason this team is failing (at least so far), so I want to see if he improves throughout the rest of the season. Closing and Team MVPs By no means did I think the Saints were a sure thing to win this game, but I definitely believed they could make it close. Players across all phases of the game looked like they have never played the sport before, and that can’t be happening this late in the season, especially when veterans are some of the ones making the mistakes. The Saints need to commit fully to the younger players on this roster, and see what they can do the rest of this season. I don’t think Shough will start next week, but if Rattler somehow turns this performance into a trend, Shough will get playing time this season. Offensive MVP: Chris Olave Defensive MVP: NONE. Pathetic. (2 weeks in a row) Special Teams MVP: NONE. (Can we please put Shaheed back there on kickoffs if we aren’t going to use him more as a receiver?)
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