Projecting the 15-Man Roster for the New Orleans Pelicans
By Rick Stone
Training Camp has begun for the New Orleans Pelicans, which leads to wondering what 15 players will end up making the Opening Day Roster.
In less than a month, the NBA season will begin for all teams, including the New Orleans Pelicans.
Therefore, the Pels have under 30 days to decide on which 15 players will be on their Opening Day Roster.
It will not be easy for New Orleans to decide who makes the team. There’s plenty of talent brought in this offseason by General Manger Dell Demps and Head Coach Alvin Gentry. It will be tough to cut players this time around.
To understand how the Pelicans will make this decision, it’s easier to put each player in different tiers, based on how likely they are to actually make the team.
First up comes the absolute locks. The players that, without a doubt, will make the roster. This list contains Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, Omer Asik, Buddy Hield, Solomon Hill and Tyreke Evans. For Anthony Davis, he’s the star of the franchise. There’s no way he misses the roster.
Jrue and Tyreke both are out with injuries, but they are still cornerstones of this franchise. Even with both on expiring contracts, they mean too much to the Pelicans to be let go now. Buddy Hield is the first rookie in New Orleans for ages, with hope dazzling out of his skills scoring the basketball. They all carry a big part of this team. Too much to let go.
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Solomon Hill was the big acquisition of the offseason. He’s the key cog in the new defensive build the Pelicans plan to run. He’s a lock for sure. Then there’s Omer Asik. There’s one major reason Asik’s a lock: The Contract. The Pelicans can not afford to put themselves in that much of a financial hole without having a player for it. He’s a lock for that reason alone.
The next six players are the “Should Be Lock” category. These are players that are not 100% locks, but should be as close to it as possible. This list includes Terrence Jones, E’Twaun Moore, Tim Frazier, Langston Galloway, Quincy Pondexter and Dante Cunningham.
For Jones, Moore, Frazier and Galloway, their new contracts make them near locks for the team. Each will play a big part of New Orleans’ new plan to be flexible on both ends. Moore, Frazier and Galloway shore up the guard spots, while Jones fits the bill in the frontcourt.
In the case of Pondexter and Cunningham, it is more about their upcoming roles. Sure, Pondexter is hurt, but he is the Pelicans true small forward on the team, with the other forwards playing multiple positions. Speaking of which, Dante Cunningham’s flexibility will make him a must for the Pels. He can play the three and the four, a position the team does needs depth in.
The final two categories are not separated by much space, but have drastic differences in the actual chances of making the roster. They are “Fighting For a Role” and “Long Shot for the Squad”.
The players fighting for a role are Alexis Ajinca, Alonzo Gee, Lance Stephenson, Chieck Diallo and Chris Copeland. These players are fighting against themselves to prove to New Orleans they can fill a role this upcoming season.
Alexis Ajinca is the best center prospect past Asik. If he can prove the team needs a big, he can keep his spot. Alonzo Gee and Chris Copeland will both be fighting to prove their small forward skills fit behind Hill and Pondexter. Gee is more of an athletic three who can run transition more efficiently. Copeland is a much better shooter, who helps space the floor. It will depend on what the Pelicans value more as to who earns that role.
Lance Stephenson comes in to keep his NBA dream alive. He will need to prove to New Orleans his overall game fits the system. Along with that, he needs to show his off-the-court antics do not overshadow his talent. He can also fill the holes left by the Evans and Holiday injuries early in the season.
Chieck Diallo is a rookie looking to prove he’s ready for the big stage. Many think he might be better suited for the NBA D-League, yet Diallo will want to show he’s ready to make an impact now. Power forward are slim pickings on the depth chart, so him being on the roster is not a crazy strategy.
For the final three players, it may be a long shot to make the squad. But don’t let that tell you Shawn Dawson, Robert Sacre and Quinn Cook are out of the running. Each has their own unique story as to why they could be the New Orleans Pelicans’ steal of the offseason.
Sacre is an emotional player. After his stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, he’s looking to prove useful to an NBA team off the bench. His rebounding numbers can prove help to the Pelicans inside, especially if they do not buy into Ajinca as the backup center. Rebounding is a weakness with New Orleans. Sacre could be some needed help in that category.
Shawn Dawson has a lot to prove, yet he’s coming in confident. Pelican Debrief did an interview with the young Pelicans prospect a while back. He believes his passion and hard work can earn him a spot on this team. He has skills that can mold to fit long term. Still, he needs to prove his potential can outweigh the immediate benefits of other players.
Finally, there’s Quinn Cook. Cook was signed to a contract just a few days ago to be a part of this training camp roster. The reigning NBA D-League Rookie of the Year has the offensive skills to help fill a void at point guard depth. He’ll be fighting with Frazier, Galloway and Moore for a spot in the NBA.
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The New Orleans Pelicans will need to get their roster down to 15 players before the season starts. Five players are going to be cut in the next 30 days. It’s not fun to crush the dreams of NBA prospects, but it is something that must be done. With New Orleans hopeful for a playoff run, the Pelicans will need to make every spot on their roster count. It’s up to each player to show the team in training camp why they are deserving to be a Pel in 2016-2017.