After a long offseason with very little action, the New Orleans Pelicans finally get back on the floor Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the first preseason game should offer an early look at what this new version of the team might become.
This is the debut of the Pelicans under new head coach Jamahl Mosley and his staff. The roster hasn’t changed much, but the way it’s supposed to function has. The system is new, the game plan is new, and even if nothing is close to settled yet, the first preseason test should start to show how the pieces are being arranged.
One of the biggest things to monitor is the lineup puzzle. Dejounte Murray, Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy are considered locks to start.
Yves Missi is quickly emerging as the favorite at center, while Herb Jones is the logical fit to round out the group. Still, Mosley has already said he’s moved the starting unit around about five times in practice, so nothing is truly set.
The bench rotation may be even harder to sort out, especially with a roster that brings a surprising amount of depth. There’s plenty of talent here, but the staff has the tricky job of figuring out how it all fits.
The other major storyline is what the defense looks like against another team. Since Mosley arrived, the Pelicans have made defense a clear priority.
The system is still being installed, so nobody expects a finished product on Tuesday, but effort is supposed to be non-negotiable. That was already visible in the practice scrimmage at St.
Augustine the other day, though that was only against themselves. Oklahoma City should provide a much tougher measuring stick.
If the Pelicans already look sharper on that end, it would be a promising early sign. At the very least, they should look like they’re competing harder.
Then there’s the offense, which lagged behind in that scrimmage. Mosley said that was by design, since defense tends to be ahead of offense early in camp.
Even so, the Pelicans know the scoring end was part of the problem last season too. Spacing, shot-making and overall creativity were all issues, and the hope is that offseason work on jumpers across the roster helps address some of that.
Having Murray at point guard should also give the team a more reliable base to build from, even in the early stages of this new system.
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Pelicans Debut Under Jahmal Mosley Brought Promise And Two Clear Concerns
Jahmal Mosleys first look at the Pelicans came with enough encouraging signs to make the preseason opener feel worthwhile, even in a game that was more about process than result. New Orleans knocked off Oklahoma City 116-110, and the mix of starters and bench players gave the new staff a chance to see how the pieces fit, with the reserve group helping fuel a pivotal run that shifted the games tone.
Still, the film likely will not be all flattering. The Pelicans had visible defensive lapses at times and some familiar problems at the free throw line, two areas that can quietly shape games once the games start counting. On the brighter side, Zion Williamson even took and made a few three-pointers, a small but notable sign of how the offense may continue to stretch under this setup while the team sorts out the rough edges. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Bench Just Raised An Early Concern About The Starters
One preseason game is hardly a verdict, but it was easy to see why the Pelicans left with an early question mark on the starting group. The opening unit struggled to establish rhythm, while the second unit came in with better pace and crisper ball movement, giving New Orleans a much cleaner look on both ends.
The encouraging part is that the bench showed real signs of depth, with several reserve players making a case for larger roles. The tougher part is sorting out whether the starters were simply out of sync for one night or if the team will need more consistent production from that group once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Got An Early Look At One Depth Battle That Matters
The preseason meeting with Oklahoma City gave the Pelicans a useful early glimpse at how some of the rosters younger pieces might fit into the broader picture. In a 116-110 win, New Orleans got to watch a Thunder group packed with rookies and other young players handle a bigger workload than usual, which is exactly the sort of setting teams use to sort through depth questions before the games start to count.
Jaron Pierre Jr. was part of that look for New Orleans, coming off the bench and turning in a modest showing in limited minutes. For a Pelicans team trying to identify who can help beyond the established rotation, these early exhibitions matter less for the final score than for the competition they reveal, and this one offered a first pass at a depth battle that could carry real weight later on. [Read more 🡒]