Tag: Stats

Hau’oli Kikaha clarifies why he stepped away from XFL, says he isn’t finished yet

Ex-New Orleans Saints draft pick Hau’oli Kikaha retired from the XFL despite a great start with the Dallas Renegades, but he has good reason

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Former New Orleans Saints starting linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha made a surprising decision on Tuesday, when the XFL’s Dallas Renegades announced that he was cutting his season short and entering retirement. But Kikaha later explained from his official Instagram account that he isn’t viewing his decision to part from football as the final chapter; he says that, “I have some very personal family issues that need my attention right now,” which draws higher importance than continuing his playing career. Still, he’s optimistic that he’ll get another opportunity to sack quarterbacks someday.

And that makes more sense for Kikaha than suddenly calling it quits after just three games. He worked hard to try out for NFL teams before taking a crack at the upstart XFL, and was an integral piece of the Renegades defense — in just the last two weeks, Kikaha made highlight reel-worthy plays with a stripped fumble and a big sack in back-to-back wins.

He’s a big-time player (who still ranks first in the Washington Huskies record books with 36 career sacks) that the Saints once drafted in the second round, and who the Renegades also picked highly. It’s just a shame that a series of injuries (including three torn ACL’s) cut down his career on football’s biggest stage. Here’s hoping everything levels out for Kikaha personally, and that he’ll be able to get back to what he does best.

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Ex-Saints draft pick Hau’oli Kikaha retires from the XFL

Hau’oli Kikaha made his mark on the Washington Huskies and the Saints, but ended his career with the XFL’s Dallas Renegades on his own terms

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Things haven’t gone well for former New Orleans Saints players in the XFL, the upstart spring football league, with Super Bowl 44-winning Saints kicker Garrett Hartley suddenly medically disqualified after having signed a contract and finished his first practice with the Seattle Dragons. Now, he’s joined on the list of former XFL players by Hau’oli Kikaha, New Orleans’ 2015 second-round draft pick.

Kikaha was drafted highly by the XFL’s Dallas Renegades, along with former Saints teammate Tommyle Lewis (Lewis declined the opportunity to compete in the XFL, eventually returning to the Saints on a reserve/futures contract offer for 2020). The Washington Huskies product saw his NFL career undone by a third ACL tear, following two such injuries suffered in college. The Renegades announced Kikaha’s decision to retire on Tuesday, which was something of a surprise; he’d already notched six tackles (one for a loss of yards) as well as a sack and a forced fumble in their first three games. He was making a positive impact.

It’s disappointing to see Kikaha’s playing career flame out like this, but he has to do what’s best for his future. And given his extensive injury history (which included a season-ending high-ankle sprain in 2017), it might make more sense for him to put his playing days behind him. Kikaha was always a technically-sound pass rusher, so maybe coaching lies in his future. Whatever the case, here’s our best to one of the best names (and hairstyles) in Saints history.

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Marcus Davenport named Saints’ most improved player of 2019

New Orleans Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport was named the team’s most improved player of 2019 by the analysts at Pro Football Focus.

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The New Orleans Saints needed a big jump in production from Marcus Davenport to justify the bold move to acquire their 2018 first-round pick, and he came through in his second season. Davenport was a force in 2019, and earned recognition from the analysts at Pro Football Focus as last year’s most improved Saints player:

The Saints’ decision to trade up to select Davenport was met with some derision at the time of the 2018 NFL Draft. Some of that may still be warranted, but for his part, Davenport is working to show that he was worth it. After a 2018 season in which he earned a 69.7 overall grade, buoyed by strong play in run defense, Davenport saw significant improvement in his second season. His pass-rush win rate rose from 13.5% to 18.4%, and he increased his raw pressure count from 28 in his rookie season to 50 last year despite missing the end of the season with an injury. Davenport also increased his run-defense grade from 76.2 to 82.4. He and Cameron Jordan form a dangerous edge duo in New Orleans.

Much of that lines up with what we’ve seen through Davenport’s first two years as a pro. His rare combination of size, strength, and speed has allowed the big defensive end to play like a naturally strong run defender, but tutelage under Jordan has done a lot to refine his game. But the Saints drafted Davenport with the expectation that he’ll grow into a serious threat as a pass rusher, and the results he showed in his second year speak for themselves. Here’s hoping he can get and stay healthy in year three.

It’ts interesting to compare Davenport’s career arc so far to similar players around the league. One of those would be Jadeveon Clowney, who the Houston Texans selected first overall back in 2014 (the Saints invested two first-round picks in Davenport in the 2018 NFL Draft). They’re both gifted athletes, with Clowney measuring at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds and Davenport towering at 6-foot-6, 265 pounds, and they’ve each dealt with serious injuries early in their careers.

Clowney was limited to just 17 games in 2014 and 2015, notching 47 combined tackles (11 for loss of yards) to go with 4.5 sacks and 8 quarterback hits. Compare that to Davenport, who’s played 26 games from 2018 to 2019 while amassing 53 combined tackles (11 for loss), as well as 10.5 sacks and 28 hits. Davenport has also forced four fumbles in that time, while Clowney didn’t produce his first turnover until his third season.

While the Lisfranc injury that Davenport suffered last season is very serious and should be the focus of his offseason, it’s worth noting that his overall trajectory is very much trending up. This is something that he can overcome, and he should only continue to develop into a more well-rounded player with more experience. Here’s hoping for a thorough and speedy recovery.

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WR, TE, QB, FB, RB? Just how many positions did Taysom Hill play in 2019?

The New Orleans Saints played Taysom Hill just about everywhere during the 2019 season, but more than half his snaps were on special teams.

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What’s the next chapter in Taysom Hill’s story? The do-it-all playmaker has a reputation as a Swiss Army knife, seeming to succeed everywhere the New Orleans Saints put him in just about any role. But where exactly did he line up in 2019?

It can be hard to distinguish that. Hill takes reps from all over the Saints offense, lining up out wide as a receiver on one play before trotting over to lead-block as a fullback. He’s auditioned at tight end and thrived as a slot receiver, also playing sparingly as a quarterback. And that doesn’t even get into his many responsibilities on special teams.

Thankfully, the team at Pro Football Focus is here to help. They charted every snap Hill played in 2019, and recorded each position he lined up — totaling 572 snaps in 17 games, including the playoffs. However, just 264 of those plays came on offense; 54% of Hill’s action was spent on special teams, running with the punt and kicking units.

Here’s an illustration of Hill’s usage in a pie chart we put together using PFF data:

So there’s an answer: considered all of his assignments, it’s safe to say that Hill played 10 different positions during the 2019 season. But while more than half of Hill’s contributions came on special teams, what we’re really curious about is his usage on offense. So here’s a second chart that’s filtered down the positions played on offense, and combined his snaps at receiver (72 in the slot, 44 out wide):

That paints a better portrait of what kind of talent he is, and where Hill’s career may go next. He may insist on being designated a quarterback — and Saints coach Sean Payton might be determined to tell anyone who’ll listen that it’s the case — but actions speak louder than words. And so far, the Saints have shown a greater willingness to play Hill at other positions, and it’s tough to argue with the results. He caught 21 of 24 targets for 259 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns last season, also logging 31 carries for 206 rushing yards and another score. Great things happen when Hill gets the football as a receiver or runner, and the Saints should continue to prioritize that.

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Former Saints running back Darren Sproles hired for Eagles consulting job

The Philadelphia Eagles hired retired NFL running back Darren Sproles, formerly of the Saints and Chargers, as a personnel consultant.

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Here’s a new career turn for Darren Sproles, the former New Orleans Saints running back. While 2019 was his last season as a player, having ended his career with the Philadelphia Eagles (who acquired him in a trade with the Saints back in 2014), the Eagles announced Friday that Sproles is one of many new additions to their organization. In fact, he’s one of several former Eagles players to join the front office.

Sproles will continue to work with the Eagles as a personnel consultant, along with his former teammate Brent Celek. While they will both work in the personnel department, former Eagles pass rusher Connor Barwin was also hired as special assistant to general manager Howie Roseman.

It’s not that surprising to see Sproles hang around with a team he’s grown loyal to. The 36-year-old appeared in 63 games for Philadelphia, including the playoffs, which is more than he played with the Saints (48). He also started his career with the then-San Diego Chargers, playing 84 games on the West Coast before following Drew Brees to New Orleans as an unrestricted free agent in 2011. He ended his career with the fifth-most yards from scrimmage in NFL history.

Now he’ll get to help scout the next generation of NFL stars. As a personnel consultant, he’ll probably be working as a part-time scout by evaluating game film of college prospects or pending free agents from around the league. Working as a consultant rather than a full-time area scout will be a great way for him to gain experience and help decide the next step in his career. Hopefully he doesn’t end up helping the Eagles pick a player the Saints coveted.

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Matthew Stafford turns 32: Here’s how he ranks historically at that age

Happy 32nd birthday to Lions QB Matthew Stafford

Happy birthday to Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford! The Lions longtime QB turns 32 today (Feb. 7th).

Stafford has already played 11 NFL seasons at his relatively young age. He ranks very high in a plethora of historical categories for NFL players through age 31.

Here are a few examples of Stafford’s historical rankings:

Passing yards – 41,205, second (Peyton Manning 41,626)

Worth noting that Stafford has played in 149 career games, 11 fewer than Manning did on his 32nd birthday.

Passing TDs – 256, third (Manning 306 and Dan Marino 290)

Completions – 3,559, first (Manning 3,468 is next)

Attempts – 5,696, first (Drew Bledsoe 5,599 is 2nd)

Interceptions – 138, 17th

Marino and Bledsoe top the INT list with 165 apiece. Most of the other QBs above Stafford here played in the less passer-friendly era before Marino, a list that includes five Pro Football Hall of Famers. Stafford’s INT rate of 2.35 (INTs thrown per 100 throws) is 16th-best all-time for his age. Aaron Rodgers is the best at 1.64.

Sacked – 347, 6th

Randall Cunningham was sacked 439 times in just 103 career starts by his 32nd birthday. Stafford has been sacked the exact same amount of times as Russell Wilson, who turns 32 in November. Stafford has the same career sack rate (5.7 sacks per 100 dropbacks) as Brett Favre, Dan Fouts and Troy Aikman when those Hall of Famers all turned 32.

Pick-sixes – 20, 1st (Marino, 16)

Not a category Stafford wants to lead…

Game-winning drives – 34, 1st (Matt Ryan and Marino, 32)

4th quarter comebacks – 28, 1st (Ryan, 24)

No quarterback has ever created more late-game victories prior to age 32 than Matthew Stafford.

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Memo to ESPN: UGA football legends Trippi and Sinkwich need to be included on any all-time greats list

After we reviewed ESPN’s major blunder in relegating Georgia legend Herschel Walker to runner up in their 150 Greatest College Football Players poll, I started searching the list for Georgia Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich and the finest …

After we reviewed ESPN’s major blunder in relegating Georgia legend Herschel Walker to runner up in their 150 Greatest College Football Players poll, I started searching the list for Georgia Heisman Trophy winner Frank Sinkwich and the finest athlete in Bulldog football history, Charles “Charley” Trippi.

As I continued scrolling down the list, expecting to soon see the two football legends, I was quickly losing faith in the ESPN panel of 150 media members, administrators and former coaches….ok, I already had lost faith. How could they fail to include Trippi and Sinkwich, who in 1942, teamed to comprise one of the most dynamic backfields in history?

Even more surprising, in 2007 ESPN published an account of the Top 25 College Football Players of All Time. The list was headed by Red Grange (Barry Sanders was second, Herschel Walker was third. Jim Brown was 18th) and Charley Trippi came in at 20th. So what happened in the ensuing 12 years that saw Trippi fall off the list. I have seen Trippi and Sinkwich on several other publications’ all-time top greats. They both deserved to be included on the ESPN 150 list.

Frank Sinkwich is the first Georgia Bulldog to win the Heisman, the first Heisman winner to be born outside the United States and the first Heisman winner from a southern school.

He led the “Point-A-Minute” Bullpups freshman team of 1939 to an unbeaten season. As a sophomore in 1940, he made All-Southern first team.

As a junior in 1941, “Flatfoot” Sinkwich set an SEC rushing record with 1,103 yards which stood for eight years, and gained 713 yards passing for a new SEC total offense record of 1,816 yards. He led Georgia to a 40-26 victory over TCU in the Orange Bowl with a performance still considered by many as the best in all bowl history. He gained 139 yards, completed 9 of 13 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns — a total offensive effort of 382 yards. And he accomplished all that despite playing from the third game on with a broken jaw protected by a custom-made facemask. For his efforts, he was an All-America selection and finished fourth in the Heisman voting.

In his record setting senior season with the Bulldogs, Sinkwich gained 795 yards rushing and set the SEC passing record with 1,392 yards, a mark that stood for eight years. He set the SEC total offense record of 2,187 yards that same season. He led Georgia to another SEC record — 4,725 yards of team total offense. Although playing with two sprained ankles, he scored Georgia’s only TD in 9-0 victory over UCLA in the Rose Bowl. He was named a unanimous All-America choice and won the Heisman Trophy. The Associated Press overwhelmingly voted Sinkwich the “Number 1 athlete for 1942” over second-place finisher Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox, a year in which Williams hit for baseball’s triple crown.

In his three-year career, Sinkwich rushed for 2,271 yards, passed for 2,331, and accounted for 60 touchdowns—30 rushing and 30 passing. Sinkwich was the No.1 draft choice of the Detroit Lions, where he earned All-Pro honors in 1943–1944, as well as being named as NFL MVP in 1944. Sinkwich was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. His number 21 is one of only four Georgia jerseys retired.

All one needs to know about the career and place in history of  Charles Louis Trippi comes from these impeccable sources. Possibly three of the 20th century’s most knowledgeable college football authorities, Alabama head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, Arkansas head coach, athletic director and long-time ABC Sports analyst Frank Broyles, and the legendary voice of college football, ABC play-by-play man Keith Jackson, each is on record of having stated that Charley Trippi was the greatest college football player they had ever seen play. Mighty high praise indeed.

The “Scintillating Sicilian” posed a triple threat on the field. Although primarily a running back, his versatility allowed him to fill a multitude of roles over his career, including quarterback, defensive back, punter, and return specialist. As a sophomore, he played alongside that season’s Heisman Trophy winner Sinkwich and guided Georgia to victory in the 1943 Rose Bowl and was named the game’s most valuable player. Georgia finished the season with a record of 11–1 and was named the consensus national champion.

Despite missing Georgia’s first five games of the 1945 season, Trippi was named a first-team All-Southeastern Conference back.

In 1946, Trippi led Georgia to its first undefeated season and a 20-10 victory over North Carolina in the Sugar Bowl. Against rival Georgia Tech, Trippi compiled 544 combined yards rushing, passing, and returning kicks, and scored three touchdowns in Georgia’s 35–7 victory.

Trippi was awarded the Maxwell Award as the most outstanding college player in the nation,the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy as the nation’s best back, was named the Southeastern Conference’s player of the year and was a unanimous choice for the All-America team. He finished as runner-up in Heisman Trophy voting behind Glenn Davis of Army.

Drafted first overall by the Cardinals in the NFL Draft, Trippi was also pursued by multiple professional baseball teams. He won an NFL Championship in 1947, was a five-time pro bowl selection, was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959 and was enshrined in Canton in 1965. His No. 62 was retired by Georgia.

When ESPN produces its next milestone list of greatest college football players, hopefully they will heed the advice of “Bear” Bryant and take a good look at the outstanding accomplishments of these two Georgia teammates and legends.

ESPN just had it wrong with the 11 greatest college football players of all time

ESPN got it wrong when it did not put Herschel Walker, out of Georgia football, as the greatest CFB player of all time.

I waited two weeks to vent a bit after the release of ESPN’s greatest eleven college football players of all time. I get it…that was an incredibly tough assignment for ESPN to choose the final eleven. Selecting from a pool of over 500,000 athletes from more than 200 schools during a 150-year period was a herculean task and they certainly weren’t going to please everyone.

For the most part, the ESPN panel did an outstanding job of selecting players from the different eras. Although skewed heavily towards running backs, most positions were well represented.

As we all know, the panel of 150 media members, administrators and former coaches and players selected Syracuse running back Jim Brown as the greatest college player and Georgia running back Herschel Walker as the runnerup.

Brown indeed was a magnificent college player.  Born on Saint Simons Island, Georgia, he arrived on the Syracuse campus from Manhasset High (Long Island, NY) without a scholarship and left as the the school’s greatest athlete of all time. As a sophomore at Syracuse (1954), Brown was the second-leading rusher for the 4-4 Orangemen. As a junior, he rushed for 666 yards (5.2 per carry) as Syracuse went 5-3 and reached a high of No. 18 in the country. In 1956 during his senior year, Brown was a consensus first-team All-American and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He finished third in the country in rushing with 986 yards, scored 14 touchdowns and led the Orangemen to the Cotton Bowl as Syracuse finished 7-2 and reached No. 8 in the country during the season.

Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

He also was standout defensive back and place kicker in college. Perhaps more impressive was his success as a multisport athlete. In addition to his football accomplishments, he excelled in basketball, track, and especially lacrosse. As a sophomore, he was the second-leading scorer for the Orangemen basketball team (15 ppg), and earned a letter on the track team. During his junior year, Brown finished in fifth place in the decathlon national championshp, averaged 11.3 points per game in basketball, and was named a second-team All-American in lacrosse. His senior year, he was named a first-team All-American in lacrosse (43 goals in 10 games to rank second in scoring nationally) and legendary sportscaster Dick Schapp once commented that Jim Brown was the greatest lacrosse player in history.

Brown went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Cleveland Browns and many still consider him to be the greatest NFL running back of all time. He had a successful acting career, appearing in over 40 films, and was a champion of social activisim.

As great as Brown was during his three years of varsity football competition at Syracuse, Herschel Walker was simply better. Herschel (like Napolean, Michelangelo, Cher and for our Generation Z readers, Zendaya, specifying the last name is not necessary) was a game changer and a difference maker. Never before had such a package of power, durability and world-class speed been witnessed on the football field. The stats were incredible, but Herschel was more than that… he was transcendental. The legendary tales of running over defenders, sprinting past speedy cornerbacks and soaring over defensive lines in the “missle” play were all true.

After the most heated recruiting battle the nation had seen, Herschel came to Athens from Johnson County High in Wrightsville, Georgia (only 150 miles north of Brown’s birthplace). “My God, a freshman!” exclaimed Larry Munson over the radio during Herschel’s first collegiate game on that sultry summer night in Knoxville in 1980. From the beginning, he carried the Bulldogs to victory, elevated his team to new heights and introduced a new style of running back to the college ranks. He was a three-time consensus All-American, The SEC Player of the Year three consecutive years, winner of the 1982 Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award, the only player in history to finish in the top three in Heisman voting in each of his collegiate seasons and the first “true freshman” to become a first-team All-American.

Some players become great, a select few are legendary and even fewer raise their teams to champions. Herschel took a 6-5 Georgia team that averaged 18.7 points per game in 1979 and led the 12-0 Bulldogs to a national championship with 1,616 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in 1980. He led Georgia to a 10-2 record in 1981, another SEC Championship and a national ranking of No. 2. During Walker’s junior year, Georgia (11-1) captured its third consecutive SEC Championship as the Dawgs reached No. 1 in the country again. He totaled 5,259 yards and 49 touchdowns during his 33-game (prior to 2002, bowl games were not included in stats) Georgia career.

In addition, Herschel also was a two-time, NCAA track and field All-American selection. He was a member of the SEC champion 4 × 100 meter relay squad in 1981 and ran a 10.10 seconds 100 meters. While playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, he competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics on the USA Bobled team. Herschel has a fifth-degree black belt in tae kwon do and in 2010, at the age of 48, won his two MMA contests.

Herschel finished his 12-year NFL career ranked second to Walter Payton in career all-purpose yards. Including his 3 years in the USFL, Herschel has 1,737 more all-purpose yards than all-time leader Jerry Rice (in 5 fewer seasons). How much did Herschel mean to the Dallas Cowboys? The security code at their Valley Ranch facility was 3412 — 34 for Herschel, 12 for Roger Staubach (No. 11 on the ESPN list). Why this man is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame — that’s a discussion for another time.

Sep 17, 1989; Atlanta, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Dallas Cowboys running back #34 HERSCHEL WALKER in action against the Atlanta Falcons at Fulton County Stadium. The Falcons defeated the Cowboys 27-21. Mandatory Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports (c) Copyright USA TODAY Sports

His physique, his durability, his drive, his speed, power, the humility…. there has always been a certain mystique about Herschel and 37 years since he last carried the ball for Georgia, that mystique is even stronger. No player cast a longer shadow over the rich tradition of college football than Herschel.

To honor 150 years of college football, ESPN’s mandate was to select the all-time greatest college football player….not the greatest all-round athlete or greatest professional player. To that end, they failed. There are four major things in life that are immutable; these unchangeable things include death, taxes, the laws of physics and Herschel Walker being the greatest player in college football history.

PFF suggests Breshad Perriman as a free agent fit for the Saints

Pro Football Focus picked Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Breshad Perriman as a priority for the New Orleans Saints in 2020 free agency.

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No matter what Mickey Loomis says off the cuff in January, the New Orleans Saints must upgrade their wide receiver corps. Michael Thomas did the heavy lifting last season — catching an NFL-record 149 passes — but the team must surround him with some help. Starting wideout Ted Ginn Jr. is a pending free agent, as is slot specialist Austin Carr (who averaged more than 30 snaps per game when healthy, but was only targeted twice). They can’t afford to bet on sudden leaps from youngsters like Deonte Harris, Tre’Quan Smith, Keith Kirkwood, and Lil’Jordan Humphrey or Emmanuel Butler.

So the analysts at Pro Football Focus picked out one free agent the Saints should pursue: Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Breshad Perriman.

It seems like a given that Drew Brees will come back for one last hurrah, and the Saints will return the key members of the roster that ranked fourth in non-quarterback team WAR this past year. Still, Brees could use a low-cost weapon opposite of Michael Thomas. Breshad Perriman has been fairly decent since leaving Baltimore in 2017. He’s dropped just one of 90 targets these past two years, which bodes well for the most accurate quarterback in the NFL. In his most recent season with Tampa Bay, Perriman ended the year red hot by producing the second highest receiving grade over the last five weeks.

Perriman finally broke out in 2019, having spent the previous years shackled to Joe Flacco at quarterback in Baltimore or Hue Jackson running the offense in Cleveland. While his overall catch rate last year was just 52.2%, that’s a product of playing with Jameis Winston. When thrown a catchable ball, PFF credited him with rare success. The leap from Winston to whoever the Saints start at quarterback in 2020 (whether it’s Drew Brees, Teddy Bridgewater, or someone else) can’t be understated.

Interestingly, Perriman stepped up last season when called upon. He spent much of the year behind Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on the depth chart, but they were both on the mend late in December, promoting Perriman to top-receiver duties. He impressed as the focal point of the passing game, gaining 506 receiving yards in his final five games (and 349 yards in his last three). His 17.9 yards per catch would have led the entire Saints team last season.

With so many mouths to feed in Tampa Bay — Winston, Shaquil Barrett, and Ndamukong Suh headline this year’s free agent class, while Godwin is their top priority next offseason — some players aren’t going to stick around. And Perriman could be just what the Saints need.

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Saints players react to Zion Williamson’s big Pelicans debut

New Orleans Saints players Taysom Hill, Craig Robertson, Thomas Morstead, and Michael Thomas were wowed by Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson.

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Zion Williamson finally made his rookie year debut for the New Orleans Pelicans, and a number of Saints players were watching and in attendance. While courtside mainstays like Cameron Jordan and Alvin Kamara were out of town getting ready for the 2020 Pro Bowl, teammates including Taysom Hill and Craig Robertson were tuning in for the game.

So they got a great look at the 6-foot-6, 284-pound 19-year-old’s first regular season game. And Williamson didn’t disappoint, ending his night with 22 points scored, seven rebounds, and three assists, including four difficult three-point shots down the stretch to give the Pelicans the lead. But he was playing on a minutes restriction in his first game back from preseason meniscus surgery, so he wasn’t able to see his team through to a win just yet.

Still, it was a terrific first impression, and should bode well for the future of Pelicans basketball in New Orleans. That’s great news for sports fans in and around the city as well as those Pelicans fans on the Saints roster. Expect to see plenty more crossover episodes as the NBA season — and Williamson’s young saga — marches forward.

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