New Orleans Pelicans: New questions that came out of preseason
New Orleans Pelicans: What does the Brandon Ingram-Jonas Valanciunas two-man game look like?
Brandon Ingram only played one game in the preseason and it happened to be the one Jonas Valanciunas missed, so we’ve yet to see the two play together.
If Zion Williamson has to miss some games, these two guys are going to be the focal points of the offense along with Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
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Ingram was effective running pick-and-roll with Steven Adams at times last season and should be even better with Valanciunas, who has a much more versatile offensive game than Adams.
The two will have a week or so to practice together and start building some chemistry, and they will need it, as the offense struggled to create good looks in the preseason.
Are Garrett Temple and Tomas Satoransky really going to play this much?
Heading into the preseason, I wasn’t expecting to see as much Garrett Temple as we ending up getting and walked away hoping to not get much more.
Temple was fairly awful and if he ends up starting games for the New Orleans Pelicans, they are in big trouble.
Satoransky was better and looked comfortable running the offense at times. He might be the Pels’ best option late in games, but he’s still a middling journeyman.
Personally, I’d rather Willie Green just throw the kids out there and let them take their lumps. Kira Lewis Jr., Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones and Didi Louzada are going to make mistakes and might not always give the Pelicans the best chance to win, but over time those reps will pay off and all are more high-ceiling talents than the two veterans.