The 4 storylines to watch at New Orleans Pelicans media day
By Willie Lutz
Setting the tone for the upcoming New Orleans Pelicans season, the team will have a chance to roll-out their new message at next week’s media day.
Media day is the formal kick-off to every team’s 2019-2020 NBA Season, including the New Orleans Pelicans. It gives the players, coaches, and front office to get in front of the fans and sets the tone for the 82 game campaign that’s about to take place.
Considering the significant change the New Orleans Pelicans have undergone since the end of last season, this year’s media should have an added sense of intrigue. Four picks in the NBA Draft, two trades, and a couple of free agent signings have made over last year’s roster into a new-look squad that should put more fans in the seats.
However, David Griffin is really trying to build something different with this squad, and it’s not like the Anthony Davis teams who faltered to superior rosters in the playoffs. Moving into the future, Griffin and company want to see if the players they’ve acquired have the acumen to start making real noise in the Western Conference. In essence, it’s that sort of difference between “we’re happy to be here” versus “we’re not leaving this thing until they give us a Larry O’Brien trophy.”
On Monday, Sept. 30, the Pelicans organization will start answering questions about the future they’ve built from themselves, and their answers are going to be important to this fanbase. How they see this roster heading into the 2019-2020 season will tell us how they project the future of this team.
No matter what, this season should lack the morbidity of last year’s campaign. The team went a disappointing 33-49 after making noise in the playoffs the prior season. This year, no Davis trade hangs over the team’s head, nor will it have a lack of talent. In terms of excitement, this team has gallons more than it did 365 days ago.
While some questions will concern lighter things, like Griffin’s mysterious “WBD” anacronym being plotted onto t-shirts, training room walls, and utilized as a hashtag (HINT: it stands for “Won’t Bow Down”). On the other hand, it’ll be incredibly interesting to hear how Alvin Gentry plans to use his roster, while Griffin explains what they’re looking for going forward.
The Pelicans will finally have a chance to come together and tell the world what they’re all about moving into the future next Monday, but for now, here are some trends to follow from Media Day 2019 arriving in just five short days.