New Orleans Pelicans Rank: Alonzo Gee Roundtable

Apr 15, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Richard Jefferson (24) defends against Portland Trail Blazers forward Alonzo Gee (33) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Trail Blazers 114-98. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

What were your initial thoughts on the Alonzo Gee signing?

Johnny (@JohhnyLouisiana): I was ecstatic. I’ve followed him for a while and he’s about as good as you can get for a two million dollar deal. He’s an insane athlete and a plus defender, but his offensive game has struggled from time to time. Here’s the thing though, Pondexter couldn’t hit a three, but with the Pels he shot 40%, and the same happened with Cole. I would wager Gee becomes a 40+% three point shooter this season as well.

Brendon (@zimmerguy4): I’ve been intrigued throughout his career in his ability to be what guys like Jamario Moon and James White have never been able to be. We see so many mega-athletes flame out, but I was excited to see Gee land on a squad that could really use his athleticism more than teams like Denver and Cleveland, who stockpile guys like that left and right, have been able to.

Nathan (@nathanheck22): At first I was confused. I hadn’t seen Gee’s game a whole heck of a lot, but I knew that his general skill set was based around athleticism and defense. While the athleticism part doesn’t fit, I was a little surprised to see them pick up another defensive specialist for a depth role when Dante Cunningham was already on the roster. As I dove into his stats and background, though, I became a lot more excited about the signing. I see the potential for him to supplant Cunningham as the primary reserve due to his smoother shooting stroke from outside, dominant athleticism and defense.

Rick (@RickStoneNBA): Pretty confused. Sure, small forward was a weaker position on this Pelicans team, but it seemed more than likely New Orleans would go for a younger player with more upside for the future. Instead, they go with a player known for jumping across NBA teams like wild fire in Alonzo Gee who has some upside but is pretty established as an at-best bench role player.

Austin (@apete1993): I was pretty indifferent about the Alonzo Gee signing. Nice depth piece at the end of the bench. You could do worse with your 11th/12th man on the roster. He at least has the potential to add a pinch of floor spacing and can play both forward positions if necessary.

Matt (@Matt_Cianfrone): I liked it because Gee gives the Pelicans something they really needed, which is athleticism at the small forward spot. Both Dante Cunningham and Quincy Pondexter played well for New Orleans but both also struggled with quicker wings. While Gee won’t be a guy you can count on for starters minutes he gives the team a player to use when they really need a stop against above-average wing players. While it may not always work it gives them a better option at the very least.

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