2 Winners and 2 losers from New Orleans Pelicans preseason

The 2024 NBA preseason may still be raging on, but it's officially a wrap for the New Orleans Pelicans after they got blown out by the Houston Rockets. If it felt like preseason flew by for the Pellies, that's because it did. Not only did New Orleans play their last game three days before the official end of preseason, they also only played three matchups since one of their matchups against the Orlando Magic was canceled due to Hurricane Milton.

It would have been nice for the Pelicans, a contending hopeful with plenty of new parts to integrate, to have full, fruitful period of play before season tip-off. Instead, they had one of their games cut and didn't play a single contest with their complete roster available. Trey Murphy III missed the entire preseason with a hamstring injury, Brandon Ingram only played one game, and Zion Williamson missed the one outing that BI was available for.

Thankfully, preseason shouldn't be a cause of alarm for any team. But, it's still the best opportunity to get a first look at a team and its players for the start of the official regular season. The Pelicans entered the preseason with a lot of questions and came away with few answers, but there were a few standouts, both good and bad.

The Pelicans had a shortened, turbulent 2024 preseason

Winner 1: Jordan Hawkins

Jordan Hawkins had a roller coaster rookie year. While he had some of the most impressive individual scoring outbursts of his entire class last season, he was largely inefficient and lost out on his minutes due to his inaccuracy and inconsistency. He especially struggled inside of the arc, as he couldn't get to the cup with any regularity and struggled to finish even when he got there.

This offseason, it was clear that the Pelicans had plenty of opportunities available for Hawkins if he was willing to step up and take them. While New Orleans has plenty of top-end talent around Zion, their lack of depth was extremely concerning and left a spot for Hawkins to claim.

He might have done exactly that through training camp and in his three preseason games. Hawkins was perhaps the most impressive player for the Pelicans in preseason after putting up over 16 points per game in just over 18 minutes a night. More importantly, he did so on elite efficiency, with 50/43/93 shooting splits.

He showcased the strides he made as a ball-handler and slasher. He was confident off of the bounce and attacking inside the arc, particularly getting into his midrange spots. He was aggressive in attacking the cup and got to the line almost five times a game in preseason. If these advancements in his game are legit and remain evident in the regular season, he'll prove to be one of the most important complementary pieces for the Pelicans this year.

Winner 2: Yves Missi

The Pelicans had a massive hole in their roster at center after Jonas Valanciunas left in free agency and they traded Larry Nance Jr. away to acquire Dejounte Murray. New Orleans partly filled that hole through the draft, selecting Baylor big man Yves Missi with the 21st overall pick.

Besides drafting Missi, the Pelicans did little to shore up their center depth, adding only German veteran Daniel Theis and former second-round pick Karlo Matkovic to round out their rotation. It's clear from their rotation that Missi can earn real minutes for the Pelicans this season should he play well out of the gates.

He started that endeavor by having a fantastic preseason. While he did struggle with foul trouble and his inexperience often peeked through, he also boasted his elite athleticism and instincts through the three games. In just under 17 minutes per outing, he put up 5.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and an impressive 2.0 blocks.

His physical gifts allow him to do things on both ends of the court that New Orleans won't get out of Theis or Matkovic. The Pelicans will need Missi to be an impactful player in year one, and he did his part to answer the call in preseason.

Loser 1: Daniel Theis

One of the Pelicans who could have taken better advantage of their preseason was Daniel Theis. Due to their roster construction, Theis had the opportunity to establish himself as a full-time starter for a playoff-caliber team this offseason. As a career backup, this would have been a bright spot in his journeyman career.

However, he failed to prove that he could handle being a big-minute player at his age and after several devastating injuries. Throughout preseason, Theis looked too immobile and sluggish to be an impactful starting-level center. In 52.8 total minutes, he garnered just 17 points, five rebounds, and one block. He'll likely still see a lot of playing time for the Pelicans early in the season, but the sooner they can move off of him, either through Missi or a new acquisition, the better.

Loser 2: Karlo Matkovic

Like Theis, Matkovic had a great opportunity presented to him this summer. After being originally drafted by the Pelicans with the 52nd-overall pick in 2022, Matkovic split time between playing overseas basketball and appearing in the G-League. He used that time to sharpen his skills and bulk up his body in hopes of returning to the NBA eventually.

New Orleans saw something that they liked in Matkovic and gave him another chance this offseason, signing him to a three-year standard deal. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that every member of the organization was impressed with Matkovic this summer. Despite the Pelicans' obvious roster need for another big man and preseason's lowered stakes, Matkovic couldn't get on the floor for New Orleans. He wound up playing just eight total minutes, only logging two rebounds, two turnovers, and a personal foul as his only counting stats. Anyone hoping that Matkovic might present himself as a surprise option for the Pelicans' hole at center had to come away disappointed at his no-show in the preseason.