A fresh coaching staff in New Orleans, a roster crunch in Phoenix and a healthier-looking Zach Edey in Memphis headlined a busy stretch of NBA notes with October ramping up.
In New Orleans, Jordan Poole is getting an opportunity to reset after a first season that never quite got off the ground. Pelicans coach Jamahl Mosley has been pleased with what he’s seen from Poole in camp and preseason, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com, and Poole says the message from the new staff has been straightforward.
“They want me to be me,” Poole said. “Play make.
Bring my championship-level experience. Score the ball.
Put my teammates in position to be successful.”
That’s the version New Orleans is hoping to unlock. Poole’s debut season with the Pelicans was derailed in part by a quad injury, and he wound up appearing in a career-low 39 games. When he was on the floor, the offense never really caught fire - he shot 37.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3-point range.
At 27, Poole still has time to turn things around, and Mosley’s demands go beyond just putting the ball in the basket. Poole said the emphasis has also been on the defensive end and on being a voice in the room.
“Obviously, defense is a huge identity for us this year,” Poole said. “Just trying to be a leader, bring guys together. A fresh start with a new coaching staff.”
Phoenix, meanwhile, appears to be keeping Jamaree Bouyea around for the regular season. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, the Suns plan to retain the 27-year-old point guard, though his minimum-salary deal would stay non-guaranteed until January. In other words, making the roster now does not lock in his full-season money.
Gambadoro said Phoenix is expected to keep one standard roster spot open, which makes Haywood Highsmith a player to monitor. Highsmith is the only other player on the Suns’ 15 standard contracts without a guaranteed salary.
That isn’t the same thing as a reported decision to move on from him, but the numbers make the situation worth watching.
There’s also a possible path for Duop Reath. Gambadoro suggested the Suns could convert Reath’s Exhibit 10 deal into a two-way contract. Reath is 30, but he still qualifies because he has only three years of NBA service.
Jordan Ott has been encouraged by what Reath can add offensively as a stretch center, but the coach also made clear that Phoenix wants him to fit into the same team-wide habits as everyone else.
“Duop is a different piece we didn’t have, but we’re going to change it to his strengths,” Ott said, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “But at the same time, we’re going to ask him to crash. We’re going to ask him to pressure the basketball.”
In Memphis, the early returns on Zach Edey’s ankle are positive. After playing his second game in three days, the Grizzlies center said the surgically repaired ankle responded well, according to Michael Wallace of Grind City Media.
“I feel really good where my body is right now. It’s about getting my wind and my conditioning back,” Edey said. “But moving around, jumping and cutting, I feel great.”
That is encouraging news for Memphis after ankle issues limited Edey to just 11 appearances last season. The Grizzlies need more than a short burst from him; they need enough time on the floor for him to find a rhythm and grow through regular minutes.
Conditioning is still part of the equation, but being able to jump, cut and move comfortably gives Edey a far better starting point.
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