One of Joe Dumars' biggest focuses since taking over the New Orleans Pelicans front office has been establishing a culture and identity. Last night against the Houston Rockets, the culture and identity were in full effect. We saw that the Pelicans are going to embody the 'us vs. the world' mentality that was made famous during Dumars' playing days for the 1980s/90s Bad Boy Detroit Pistons team.
Dumars previously discussed how he went around and asked every player if they were in or out, and if they wanted to be in New Orleans or not. According to him, everyone is all in. When you have that type of commitment and togetherness, it's going to bring a group closer and raise the ceiling.
The Pelicans played scrappy, tough, and brought energy on the defensive end against one of the league's best offenses in the 120-118 preseason loss.
The moment in this game when the culture and toughness were established by this group was midway through the second quarter, when Amen Thompson and Jose Alvarado got into a scuffle. During a rebound chance that the two were battling for, Thompson kind of hit Alvarado, and then they both fell to the floor and had to be separated.
Even though Alvarado is much smaller at 6'0" compared to Thompson, who's 6'7", he didn't back down at all. Getting in a scuffle during preseason is something that you look back at at the end of the season as a moment that set the tone for this year.
Jose Alvarado importance is at an all time high in the Joe Dumars era
During the offseason, I was skeptical about where Alvarado would fit in with this team, especially long-term, as the additions of Jeremiah Fears and Jordan Poole have crowded the team's guard room. But my skepticism is gone after seeing the way he's played this preseason.
With head coach Willie Green and President Dumars both being defensive-minded guys who want this team to play with toughness and grit, there's no better fit at the backup point guard spot than Alavrado. His willingness to put his body on the line by diving for loose balls or taking charges not only fits into the identity of this team but also exemplifies winning basketball.
Although he may not have 10-plus years of NBA experience or an NBA championship under his belt, Alvarado is the perfect veteran presence you want on a young team like this. The 27-year-old wants to win by any means necessary, and he shows that in his play game in and game out.