The 4 storylines to watch at New Orleans Pelicans media day
By Willie Lutz
Will the New Orleans Pelicans utilize non-Zion rookies this season?
As a part of their reconstruction process this offseason, the Pelicans acquired enough picks to make four selections in the NBA Draft.
One pick will certainly not play a role in New Orleans this season. The Pelicans selected Didi Louzada with the 35th overall pick in this draft but decided his season would be better spent in Australia, developing with the Sydney Kings through the NBL’s Next Star program. Louzada is, however, putting up pretty good numbers halfway across the globe.
Performing as well as any rookie in Summer League, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is probably going to be active off the Pelicans bench this season. In Summer League play, he averaged 24.3 points and 6 assists but passed the eye test with flying colors.
Jaxson Hayes was also standout in Summer League action and is a candidate to be the team’s second-string center pending a training camp battle with Jahlil Okafor. Griffin previously stated that it seemed like a redshirt year for the young center, but his summer ball poise immediately dismissed that concept.
Nicolò Melli shot 38.5% from three in the EuroLeague last year. While he only averaged 7.3 points and 25.9 minutes in his 25 games, but the Pelicans need shooting and Melli can be a part of that prescription.
While Hayes and Melli aren’t going to be household names after year one, all indications are that these two will be active members of the Pelicans bench throughout this season. Alexander-Walker, on the other hand, could have more to do with the Pels’ success than the pair of bigs.
Whatever Griffin or Gentry says about these three will be of interest to fans. How much they contribute to this team early would be a good way to gauge how the Pelicans perform this season.