New Orleans Pelicans: 3 keys to preseason-opening victory over Hawks

Nicolò Melli looks like a secret weapon for the New Orleans Pelicans bench

Entering his first year of NBA basketball, the 28-year-old power forward was aggressive in his first preseason appearance. While it wasn’t a perfect night for the older rooke player, Nicolò Melli, it certainly provided some optimism about his future on this team’s bench.

Melli led the team in plus/minus rate, posting a +29 impact in his 22 minutes of action on Monday night in State Farm Arena.

What thrilled from Melli was the aggressiveness the Italian-born player showed in his first night against NBA opponents. While he shot just 4-for-11 from the field, his ability to provide a spark off the bench would be a huge addition for Alvin Gentry’s bench.

The New Orleans Pelicans need to solidify their bench, but with so many moving pieces from a year ago, it puts the onus on the coaching staff to identify which players can provide the most boom in short minutes.

Contributing in a lot of different ways off the bench, Melli looked like more than a spacer-scorer against the Hawks. The rookie grabbed 8 rebounds, completed 4 assists, and poked the ball away for 2 steals, finding a way to cause the Hawks issues on both ends.

Executive VP David Griffin brought Melli in as a three-point shooting threat, and while his 1-for-6 clip wasn’t great last night, it seems the team might’ve found a special player to add to their second unit.

Overall, the Pelicans bench showed a lot of exciting things, including a great night from Jahlil Okafor. If Melli and Okafor can be solid second options in the New Orleans Pelicans’ frontcourt, it’ll really help Alvin Gentry construct his rotations.