New Orleans Pelicans will learn a lot about their team in preseason bout against Dallas Mavericks
By Rick Stone
The New Orleans Pelicans preseason schedule begins tonight against the Dallas Mavericks, which could help them learn a lot about the potential depth chart.
The first competitive game of the New Orleans Pelicans’ preseason is tonight against the Dallas Mavericks in Bossier City, Louisiana.
It’s the first game for New Orleans basketball since mid-April. There’s plenty of reason to be excited for the game.
Anthony Davis will return to the floor to bring athletic highlights galore.
Buddy Hield will get his first action in a New Orleans Pelicans jersey.
There are plenty of new faces that will make their debut, including E’Twaun Moore, Terrence Jones and Solomon Hill.
However, this game will be about much more than just a fun preview of the upcoming season. It will be the first glimpse at what Head Coach Alvin Gentry will do about rotations and minutes for each player.
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There are a lot of uncertainties with this upcoming season, especially with three major injuries to the team. Potential starters Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans and Quincy Pondexter will each miss substantial time to start the basketball year.
Who fills in those roles for game one could be a big indicator on who will get the nod on opening night.
While Buddy Hield is expected to get a lot of run at shooting guard, who starts at the two is a big question mark. Unlike the small forward, where Solomon Hill is a near lock, shooting guard has plenty of options.
It gets even more complicated when realizing a new starting point guard is a need as well. Guys like E’Twaun Moore and Langston Galloway were brought in to be mix players of both guard positions. Both could fill time at either spot. This game could show how much Alvin uses them at those positions.
The youngsters of the guard depth in Hield and Tim Frazier may have better odds to start, due to their prowess at their positions. Still, what Gentry goes with in game one will give some insight into the future.
Then comes the center position. Alexis Ajinca has already said he believes he can be the starting center of the team this season. With the current starter Omer Asik coming off a dismal 2015-2016 season, it’s a possibility the team looks more toward Ajinca. How the Pelicans distribute the minutes right off the bat may hint at the team’s confidence in Alexis.
The minutes for each fringe player on the roster is another storyline. Guys like Lance Stephenson, Robert Sacre, Quinn Cook and Shawn Dawson are fighting just to make the opening day roster. How much these guys see the floor, if at all, will be very telling for their chances on becoming a regular season Pelican.
Looking past how each players fare in this contest, how the coaching staff gameplans in game one will be huge as well. The Pelicans have a brand new philosophy defensively as a team. It will take a while to implement it so each player is effectively executing on it. The first game out will show what this team executes well from practices and what will still need improvement.
The first game is always great to watch, mostly due to the fact it’s a learning experience for all involved. It’s the first real game feeling in over seven months. There will be struggles, frustration and rust to shake off, before the season begins. But, the excitement of what could be for New Orleans Basketball is the best part. It’s so close to the season being in full swing. This is the first taste for players and fans alike of the game they love in a long time.
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The New Orleans Pelicans still have over 25 days before the season kicks off. However, it’s not too early to begin celebrating the upcoming season with actual competitive ball. The Dallas Mavericks are a division opponent, so it will be a tough battle in this exhibition game. Fans have waited long enough. It’s time to get the city of New Orleans back into the full swing of basketball for the 2016-2017 campaign.