With the NBA season set to tip off tonight and the New Orleans Pelicans' season getting underway against the Grizzlies tomorrow, the front office finalized its 15-man regular-season roster. All preseason and training camp, there was a battle for that final roster spot, and Jaden Springer came out victorious, having his Exhbit-9 deal converted to a standard NBA one.
This came as great news not only for Springer but also for the Pelicans. The 23-year-old is a good defender and can bring much-needed championship experience to this team. One player this news definitely hurt was former McNeese State Cowboy Christian Shumate, who, as an undrafted rookie, has spent the entire preseason and Summer League as a member of this team.
With the Pelicans being forced to waive Shumate, he'll start his season with their G-League affiliate, the Birmingham Squadron. However, given the Pelicans' injury history and Shumate's performances heading into the 2025-26 campaign, I expect he'll be the first guy called up if someone gets hurt.
Shumate is an athletic two-way wing who is a walking highlight reel in transition. He also plays with an inspiring amount of hustle, often generating second-chance points for his team by crashing the boards hard.
There's so much value in already having the next man up
For a team like the Pelicans, which has continuously failed over the last three seasons because of a lack of depth and constant injuries, there is so much value in having NBA talent in the G-League. At any moment Shumate could get his contract converted in come up and give 10-15 minutes of really solid basketball off this teams bench.
Shumate starting his NBA career in the G is only going to pay off in the long term. While he is a good defender, a freak athlete, and plays with hustle you can't teach, he still has a ton to work on.
Starting with his outside shooting, he must improve his shot to become an everyday role player for any NBA team. He doesn't have to become a Cam Johnson-level shooter, but he does have to be someone defenses are forced to respect from a distance. He also has to work on his processing of the game; he can't be so eager to jump passing lanes and should let the game come to him more.
These are two flaws that Shumate can really focus on and improve in the G-League this season, so when his number is called to come to the main roster, he is ready for the challenge.