New Orleans Pelicans Season Preview: Alonzo Gee’s Athleticism May Not Be Enough

New Orleans Pelicans Forward Alonzo Gee found his spot on the team last year with his veteran presence and athleticism, but that may not be enough this time around.

The New Orleans Pelicans’ central theme of change this offseason is not good for Alonzo Gee.

At 29 years old, Gee is a veteran presence on this team. Sans Omer Asik, he’s the oldest player on the current roster. The team has leaned on his seven years in the NBA to help remedy the youth of their core players.

However, it may not be enough to make the team this year.

New Orleans is working on a new identity. The main focus comes down to flexibility and balance. The new Pelicans want their players to be well-rounded in all departments of the game.

Alonzo Gee has some balance to his game, but not enough to outweigh his glaring weaknesses.

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Gee’s strengths come from his athletic ability to run and defend. Alonzo averaged 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game last season. His speedy hands can swipe the ball away, which helps him even more in transition.

He can run on the break and get to the basket, where he shows his greatest skill to his game:

His Dunking Ability.

Alonzo can get high and throw down hard. In one of his best games of the 2015-2016 season, Gee shows his dunking prowess on three separate occasions against the Indiana Pacers.

Gee can be a threat going towards the basket too. His athletic drive gives him the ability to split the defense, something the injury-ridden Pelicans lacked.

However, this team went out and got players in free agency that fill all the roles Gee played last year.

His ability to swipe at the ball and play strong defense at the three is now in the hands of Solomon Hill and possibly Lance Stephenson.

The veteran presence he brings to the team is another place Stephenson can fill, along with the returns of the injured vets of last year.

His slashing ability is something guys like Langston Galloway, E’Twaun Moore, Tim Frazier and even Terrence Jones will be able to fill.

His dunks and athleticism are still strong suits for sure, but his overall contribution to the team past that is minimal. And with the expectations high once again for New Orleans, it might not land him on the 15-man roster.

He still can not shoot the ball consistently from behind the arc, something of a high priority for a Pelicans team that wants to spread the floor.

While his athletic ability helps on defense, he is out of position way too much. This causes him to foul a lot, as he averaged 2.3 fouls in just over 22 minutes per. That will not cut it for a team that’s looking to play even faster this time around.

Lance Stephenson will be Alonzo Gee’s rival for the 15th and final roster spot. While Gee is more athletic and has experience under Head Coach Alvin Gentry, Stephenson brings more on-court assets to the overall plan of the Pelicans’ future.

Gee’s minutes took a big cut this preseason, raising the question if this will be the end of his run in New Orleans. If it is, he will have left the city with some quality highlight reels.

His ability to slash and slam is something to marvel. However, it will probably be too little to keep him in New Orleans. The team’s offseason of adding a plethora of talented youngsters may have pushed Gee out of the roster. However, his lost chance at a minimal role on this team can turn into a meaningful role somewhere else.

There are plenty of NBA teams with holes in their roster. Gee could leave New Orleans and fill that role later on into the season. Either on New Orleans or in another NBA city. Injuries plague every team. Pelicans fans know this more than anyone. If Gee still has no job come the next major injury, he might be back on this team after all.

Gee is a player with limits to his skills, yet really shines in his strong suits. When put in a role that’s comfortable to him, he can hold his own. He’s not going to move the needle either way, but he’s an NBA player that fills the role needed. That’s worth a contract somewhere in this league. However, it may not be in New Orleans this time around.

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The New Orleans Pelicans’ toughest decision of the offseason will be deciding between Gee and Stephenson for the final roster spot. Gee can show the athletic wing presence and keep the up-tempo pace the Pels are searching for. However, if he loses the spot to Lance, he will likely find work elsewhere. Alonzo Gee is a fun player that keeps games steady and brings a few highlight players every once in a while. He’s an NBA caliber talent. Whether he ends up on the Pelicans this year or somewhere else will be a question to be answered soon. Best of luck to him.