New Orleans Pelicans Summer League: 3 questions for the 2nd game

The New Orleans Pelicans got out to a slow start in Summer League, getting blown out in their first game.

Rookie Dyson Daniels was injured just eight minutes into his NBA career, though so far it doesn’t look to be serious.

The Pels played a disjointed, ugly game with little ball movement and a whole lot of bricks. But it is just Summer League and a lot of players were in roles they will never assume in the regular season.

That being said, it would be nice to get a better outing in game two, and here are three questions before tonight’s game, which tips off at 5:00 PM CT in Las Vegas.

New Orleans Pelicans: 3 questions for the 2nd Summer League game

#1: Who is going to make plays?

The New Orleans Pelicans had just 10 assists total as a team in the first Summer League game, which is partly because they missed a ton of shots and partly because they were lacking a playmaker with Jose Alvarado on the bench.

Naji Marshall was initiating the offense a lot of the time, and he did have six assists, though he also coughed it up four times trying to do too much.

I think we’ll see more of Jared Harper at the point, and hopefully he can get the offense moving a little more, as the ball was stalling and the Pelicans were stagnant in the half court.

#2: Who will get Dyson Daniels’ minutes?

We were expecting to get a heavy dose of the newly drafted Dyson Daniels but it is highly unlikely that he will play again in Summer League after suffering an ankle sprain.

Someone is going to get those minutes, and last game we got close to 15 minutes from both John Petty Jr. and Dereon Seabron. We could also see more of Deividas Sirvydis, who has played in the NBA in the past for the Pistons and is a guy who could offer the Pelicans a shooter to develop.

Daniels’ absence will give some of the fringe guys a chance to shine and it will be interesting to see who steps up to seize the opportunity.

#3: Can anyone make a shot?

The Pelicans made just 4-of-31 of their 3-point shots in the first Summer League game, which is, ummmm, not good.

You expect a little rust and for the games to be sloppy, as most of these guys have never really played together before but you have to do better than 12 percent from the 3-point line.

I don’t expect Trey Murphy III to go 1-of-9 again and it would be nice to see Naji knock down a couple after really struggling from long range last season and going 0-for-4 in the first game.

Jared Harper can also hit them, as can John Petty Jr, so hopefully the Pelicans will find the bottom of the net a little more in this one.