Pelicans Sign Kendrick Perkins, Eye Kevin Durant in 2016
The chess pieces are starting to move into place.
I’m about to unleash my conspiracy theory about how this is part of the Durant campaign in 2016, but for now let me just analyze this move without picturing Dell Demps with an evil villainous grin.
Who’s Kendrick Perkins?
He’s a 30-year-old role player. He can’t shoot, he can’t score, he can’t pass, he can barely run actually, though he is an acceptable post defender. So why is this a great move? Because Kendrick is a great guy.
This is a player who makes connections and forms relationships everywhere he goes. He’s one of the few players in the league who does more good on the bench then on the floor, and I mean that as a compliment. The one thing this Pelicans roster was lacking wasn’t Seth Curry or another barely playable forward, it was missing an enforcer.
I could give you his basketball reference stats, but let me give you his Sports Nation Ohio stats instead:
Kendrick Perkins Total Stats with the Cavs:
— SN Ohio (@SN_Ohio) July 22, 2015
- 867 high fives
- 127 menacing looks
- 3 fights won
- A 9 step travel
- And 0 smiles
Okay I just gave you perfectly reasonable breakdown of Kendrick’s game. Now let me speculate.
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Kendrick Perkins is a great veteran, locker room leader, role model, and human being but more importantly; he is a close friend of Superstar Kevin Durant. That’s the real reason Demps made this move, he wants someone to vouch for him.
Reports have stated that this season, Kendrick called and checked up on Kevin Durant almost every single day during his recovery from injury. Perkins has been the backbone of the Thunder’s locker room and clearly has built a strong relationship with him.
The goal will be that Perkins will love his season in NOLA, playing under Gentry, giving out high fives, and generally feeling a sense of progress.
Then, at the end of the season, he calls Durant up and says “Trust me Kevin, this is the place you want to be, these are the guys you want to build a dynasty with.”
Hiring Robert Pack as an assistant served a similar purpose, he coached Durant before and will also be able to show him the improvement in coaching leadership the Pelicans will have with Gentry.
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Oh yeah, we also have Anthony Davis.
So come free agency next offseason we will have one of Durant’s best friends vouching for us, one of his most formative coaches showing him the potential of the team’s direction, and the best player in the world at just 23 years old.
Oh — but I heard the Wizards hired his old high school coach.
That’s cute…….