The New Orleans Pelicans come out of the preseason with a 3-1 record and a date with the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, but the bigger takeaway is less about wins and losses and more about what Jamahl Mosley was able to learn while sorting through different lineup combinations.
The first big alarm bell is one the Pelicans have already been hearing: the shooting still isn’t good enough. Last season, New Orleans ranked 24th in the league at 34.7% from 3-point range, and the summer did little to change that outlook.
In four preseason games, the Pelicans hit just 33.1% from deep, a number that suggests the same problem is hanging around. That becomes even more troubling because the team did not add a stretch big, which made the Zion Williamson and Yves Missi minutes especially tough on spacing.
Mosley is going to have to be careful managing those combinations, along with the minutes involving Williamson, Missi, and Derik Queen.
Karlo Matkovic could end up being part of the answer. The former second-round pick shot 42% from 3 last season and showed some encouraging touch in the preseason.
Outside of Trey Murphy III, there just isn’t another Pelicans player who commands much fear from defenders on the perimeter. That matters because opposing teams are going to load up the paint to make life difficult for Williamson and Queen.
Unless New Orleans can punish those defenses from outside, that problem is going to keep showing up.
Jeremiah Fears, though, gave the Pelicans something to feel good about. The second-year guard looked stronger and more polished after an offseason of added muscle and work on his game.
Across four preseason outings, he averaged 13.3 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 50% from the field. He also tied for the team lead in steals, continuing to show that he can disrupt opponents on defense.
With Dejounte Murray dealing with a toe injury, Fears started the final two preseason games and made a real push for a starting job on Wednesday night.
Fears also flashed a more dangerous jump shot. He shot 51% from beyond the arc in the preseason and looked comfortable both spotting up and creating his own shot. That’s still one of the biggest questions in his game, but if that becomes a reliable piece, it opens up a much higher ceiling for him and for the Pelicans’ offense.
Defensively, Mosley seems intent on leaning into pressure. New Orleans did not add the interior anchor it needed this offseason, so the approach has to come from the perimeter.
The Pelicans were already top-10 in steals last season, and they backed that up by finishing second in the preseason with 13.3 steals per game. That kind of disruption helped spark a couple of comeback wins and may be one of the few ways this team can make up for its issues protecting the rim.
For that plan to work, the buy-in has to come from everyone, including players on the back line like Williamson and Queen. Mosley’s reputation is built on defense, but the roster only gives him so many tools. If the Pelicans are going to get where they want to go this season, they’re going to need a sharper, more connected defensive effort across the board.
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Jamahl Mosley Could Change More Than Expected For The Pelicans
Rick Carlisle has seen enough of Jamahl Mosley to know the hire could mean more for the Pelicans than a fresh voice on the sideline. Carlisle praised Mosleys influence in Orlando and pointed to the way he helped reshape that teams identity, the sort of steady impact that goes beyond Xs and Os and into the daily habits that define a program.
For New Orleans, that matters because the roster already has offensive talent, and the bigger question has long been how all the pieces fit together over time. As the season nears, the same themes around chemistry, defined roles and organizational standards that Indiana players recently discussed feel especially relevant for a Pelicans team trying to turn promise into something more durable. [Read more 🡒]
Yves Missi Is Giving Pelicans Little Reason To Change Course
The Pelicans wrapped preseason with a win over the Washington Wizards and now turn the page to their regular season opener against the Indiana Pacers, with the center spot still one of the more closely watched decisions on the roster. Jamahl Mosley has spent all four exhibition games starting Yves Missi in the middle, a clear sign the rookie has been given every chance to stake his claim while Derik Queen and Karlo Matkovic remain in the mix.
Missis recent play only strengthened that case. He looked more settled in the final preseason games, and in the finale against Washington he finished with six points and seven rebounds on 3-of-5 shooting in 19 minutes. For a team sorting out its frontcourt rotation, the Pelicans have gotten enough from Missi to at least avoid changing course for now. [Read more 🡒]
Zion Is Chasing The One Change Pelicans Fans Have Waited For
Zion Williamsons offseason emphasis has been clear enough to notice from the sideline, even before a regular-season possession has counted. The Pelicans star is reportedly looking to bring more three-point shooting into his game, a change that would add a new layer to an already dangerous offensive profile and give New Orleans another way to stress defenses as it tries to push back into the postseason picture.
The early signs have already shown up in the work itself, with Williamson seen practicing from deep and even putting a few up in preseason action. He did not connect on those looks, but the idea behind the adjustment matters more than the short-term result for a player whose range has been limited and whose next step could shape how much room the Pelicans have to grow around him. [Read more 🡒]