The vibe around the New Orleans Pelicans is completely different from a year ago, when Zion Williamson’s injury hung over the team like a dark, uncertain cloud.
This year Zion looked like a new man at media day, smiling and trim, excited to get back on the court.
He won’t have to wait long, as Pelicans training camp tips off today. Here’s all of the information you need, as well as a few things to look for in what little practice we’ll get to see.
When is Pelicans training camp?
Training camp starts today, September 27th and will run through October 3rd.
Where is Pelicans training camp being held?
The Pels will practice at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center in Metairie, La., but will have one open session in the Smoothie King Center.
Is Pelicans’ training camp open to the public?
These practices are not open to the public, but there will be one open session on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 2:00 p.m. at the Smoothie King Center. Tickets are free, so it would be a great chance to get an early look at the Pels.
We’ll also get daily media updates to chew on while we wait for preseason to begin.
What to look for
Obviously most of the updates will be about Zion Williamson and how he looks with his old and new teammates. Zion hasn’t played with a lot of these guys yet, so it will be interesting to see how his return affects guys like Jonas Valanciunas, Devonte’ Graham, Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones.
The Pels have a loaded roster, so the big theme of camp is going to be competition. Here are the players they will carry into training camp:
- Jose Alvarado
- John Butler
- Zylan Cheatham
- Dyson Daniels
- Devonte’ Graham
- Jaxson Hayes
- Willy Hernangomez
- Brandon Ingram
- Herbert Jones
- Kira Lewis Jr.
- Naji Marshall
- CJ McCollum
- Trey Murphy III
- Larry Nance Jr.
- John Petty Jr.
- Daeqwon Plowden
- Dareon Seabron
- Garrett Temple
- Jonas Valanciunas
- Zion Williamson
You’ll have young guys like Cheatham, Petty Jr., Plowden, Butler and Seabron fighting for two-way contracts or even spots on the back end of at the roster, which should bring plenty of competition to camp.
Graham, Daniels and Naji Marshall will be trying to earn minutes and roles as coach Willie Green tries to figure out the best ways to deploy guys who have very different skill sets.
Is this going to be a leap year for Jaxson Hayes, or has Willie Hernangomez’s stellar run in international play give him a leg up in the backup center role?
Can Kira Lewis Jr. get back to 100 percent and is it possible that he will start the season in the G-League?
Has Jose Alvarado’s 3-shot improved? Has Trey Murphy III put on some extra muscle? Is Dyson Daniels really as ready as people have been saying?
All of these questions will start to get answered today, as the New Orleans Pelicans get to work preparing for a run towards the top of the Western Conference.