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Pelicans Notes: AD Trade, Jones, Marshall, McCollum

November 2nd, 2022 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Anthony Davis trade continues to look great for New Orleans, according to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, who writes that the Lakers‘ failures will be the Pelicans‘ successes for at least two more years.

After receiving Los Angeles’ first-round pick in 2022 and using it to draft Dyson Daniels, New Orleans has swap rights with L.A. in 2023 and will get the Lakers’ first-rounder in 2024 (with the option to defer it to 2025). Given the way the Lakers have been playing, that means the Pelicans could have at least one more lottery pick headed their way, even if they make the playoffs.

In addition to the draft picks the Pelicans secured in the Davis trade, Brandon Ingram has turned into an All-Star caliber cornerstone for the organization. Plus, Josh Hart – who was part of the Davis blockbuster – was a key piece of the outgoing trade package in the 2022 deadline trade that sent CJ McCollum and Larry Nance to New Orleans.

The Pelicans will visit the Lakers on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

The Athetic’s Mike Prada, Jovan Buha, and Will Guillory also revisited the Davis trade, debating whether it can be viewed as a successful deal for both teams, given that the Lakers won a title with AD in 2020.
Pelicans forward Herb Jones appears to be ready to return to action after missing three games due to a hyperextended right knee. He has been listed as probable to play in Wednesday’s game in Los Angeles.
Naji Marshall, who is on a minimum-salary contract that runs through 2023/24, has been an important contributor for the Pelicans with Jones and Ingram sidelined as of late, Clark writes for NOLA.com. Marshall has scored 15 points and shot at least 53.8% from the field in each of his last three games, all starts. “Naji’s a dog, but he’s also very coachable and from a teammate perspective, like if you tell him, ‘Naj, maybe you should do it like this,’ he’s not gonna fight you on it,” Zion Williamson said. “He’s just gonna go out there and he’s going to do what’s asked of him. You love to have players like that on your team.”
In a Q&A with Mark Medina of NBA.com, CJ McCollum discussed his adjustment to a point guard role, how he’s dealing with a sprained finger, and where he thinks the Pelicans fit in the Western Conference pecking order. “It’s the Warriors and everybody else,” McCollum said, adding that New Orleans still has “a lot we have to learn and improve” after losing in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Zion Williamson Back For Pelicans On Sunday

October 30th, 2022 at 1:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pelicans star power forward Zion Williamson will make his return to the floor for New Orleans on Sunday, the team has announced (via Twitter). New Orleans is facing off against the mighty Clippers on the road in an afternoon matinee today.

The Pelicans also revealed that standout second-year forward Herb Jones will remain sidelined with a hyperextended right knee. Forward Brandon Ingram is still in the league’s concussion protocols.

Across three healthy games this season, Williamson has averaged 22.0 PPG while connecting on 49.1% of his field goals and 71.4% of his free throws. He is also chipping in 6.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.0 SPG and 0.7 BPG for New Orleans.

The 6’6″ Duke alum was sidelined for the Pelicans’ prior two contests. He missed all of the 2021/22 NBA season due to a right foot fracture.

Southwest Notes: Primo, Pelicans, Wood, Mavericks

October 29th, 2022 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs‘ decision to part ways with 12th overall pick Joshua Primo just 15 months after drafting him was one of the most stunning moves in franchise history, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Based on his research, Mark Deeks of Forbes (Twitter link) believes it’s the smallest gap between being drafted and waived for any NBA lottery pick, ever.

While Orsborn was able to confirm through sources that Primo’s release wasn’t related to basketball, details remain sparse, beyond the statement released by the 19-year-old on Friday. No one in the Spurs’ organization has offered any concrete information, and Primo’s agent Todd Ramasar hasn’t returned messages asking for a comment, according to Orsborn.

As we wait to see if we get any more clarity on Primo’s shocking release, let’s round up a few more notes from around the Southwest…

With Brandon Ingram (concussion), Zion Williamson (hip/back), and Herb Jones (knee) all out of action, the Pelicans showed off their depth on Tuesday in a victory over Dallas, writes William Guillory of The Athletic. However, that depth wasn’t enough to pull out an upset win on Friday in Phoenix without that trio of forwards available. Both Williamson and Jones will be game-time decisions on Sunday, tweets Andrew Lopez of ESPN. It remains unclear when Ingram will be able to exit the concussion protocol.
Speaking to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, Mavericks big man Christian Wood discussed playing with Luka Doncic, adjusting to coming off the bench in Dallas, and his goals for the rest of his career. “Individually, of course, I want to be an All-Star in this league. I think I have a good chance if I get the time and the minutes to show what I can really do. I think I can definitely make a case for that,” Wood said. “I want to try to win as many games as I can. I want to get to the playoffs. I haven’t been to the playoffs one time in my career. I want to try to make a run in the playoffs.”
The Mavericks are considering giving JaVale McGee a rest night on Saturday vs. Oklahoma City, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. However, the plan would be to start Dwight Powell, not Wood, at center. Powell has only seen seven minutes of action so far this season, but Dallas wants to keep Wood as the sixth man, since he has thrived in that role so far, MacMahon explains.

Injury Notes: Ingram, Zion, Jones, Garland, Anthony, MPJ

October 27th, 2022 at 4:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (concussion protocol) will be sidelined for at least three more games, as he won’t travel with the team during its upcoming road trip, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. Head coach Willie Green told reporters, including Guillory, that Zion Williamson (right posterior hip / low back contusion) and Herb Jones (right knee hyperextension) were partial participants in Thursday’s practice and will be listed as questionable for Friday’s game at Phoenix.

The Pelicans have gotten off to an impressive 3-1 start, including Tuesday’s 113-111 victory over Dallas sans all three of the aforementioned starters.

Here are a few more health-related notes from around the NBA:

Cavaliers guard Darius Garland was hoping to make his return for Friday’s game at Boston but he has been ruled out for the contest, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (Twitter link). Garland is still dealing with the effects of his lacerated left eyelid, which he suffered in the season opener vs. the Raptors.
Imaging revealed that Cole Anthony sustained a right internal oblique injury during the Magic‘s loss to Cleveland on Wednesday, Orlando announced (via Twitter). The Magic were vague in giving a timeline for the injury, saying that the third-year guard’s “return to play will depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment.”
Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. missed Wednesday’s game against the Lakers with “lumbar management,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Head coach Michael Malone told reporters, including Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (Twitter link), that Porter suffered a back spasm during Monday’s game at Portland and could have played against the Lakers if necessary, but Malone expects him to play against the Jazz on Friday. The Nuggets have officially listed Porter (lumbar spine management), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (left ankle sprain) and Davon Reed (personal reasons) as questionable for Friday’s contest, tweets Mike Singer of The Denver Post. Porter, who only played nine games last season and underwent lumbar spine surgery last November, is off to a strong start in 2022/23, averaging 18.0 points and 5.8 rebounds on .510/.500/.800 shooting through four games (29.0 minutes).

Southwest Notes: Wood, Tate, Pelicans, Spurs

October 25th, 2022 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks star Luka Doncic likes what he has seen from new teammate Christian Wood so far this season, as Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News writes. Wood has racked up 50 points and 20 rebounds in just 49 minutes of action in his first two games with Dallas.

“He’s a great player,” said Doncic, who has a +26.3 net rating when sharing the court with Wood. “He listens to us. He accepts his role, and he’s just doing amazing stuff out there. It’s only two games, but he’s going to be very good for us.”

Wood, who has come off the bench so far, is making a strong case to be promoted to the starting five, but the Mavericks are unlikely to make any immediate changes to their lineup, according to Tim Cato of The Athletic. Dallas’ coaching staff wants to assess its current rotation across a larger sample before drawing any conclusions, Cato explains.

“We’ll look at a 10-game stretch, maybe,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “We can’t do two games and figure that’s the way we’re going to roll. You don’t get enough data.”

Let’s round up a few more items from around the Southwest…

Barring a setback, Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate will return to action on Wednesday in Utah, sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Tate, who signed a new three-year contract with Houston in the offseason, has been on the shelf for the team’s first four games of the season due to a right ankle injury.
Brandon Ingram (concussion protocol), Zion Williamson (right posterior hip / low back contusion) and Herb Jones (right knee hyperextension) have all been ruled out for the Pelicans‘ game vs. Dallas on Tuesday, the team announced (via Twitter). All three players were initially listed as questionable, so they’ll presumably be considered day-to-day going forward.
The Spurs, widely expected to be a player in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, are off to a 3-1 start this season. Swingman Devin Vassell admitted after Monday’s win in Minnesota that the outside expectations for the team have been a motivating factor. “I try not to listen to the outside noise, but I’m not going to lie, it does get frustrating when everybody is talking about tanking, tanking, tanking,” Vassell said, according to Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. “We are professional athletes. We all want to play. We all want to win. And that’s how we are going to approach every game.”

Injury Notes: DiVincenzo, Zion, Ingram, Boucher, Barnes

October 24th, 2022 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo injured his left hamstring during Sunday’s victory over Sacramento and won’t travel with the team to Phoenix for Tuesday’s contest, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

Speaking today to reporters, including Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link), Warriors head coach Steve Kerr revealed that DiVincenzo will miss more than just Tuesday’s game, indicating that the swingman will be reevaluated in one week.

As Andrews relays, the Warriors will be in the midst of a five-game road trip at that point and haven’t yet determined whether DiVincenzo will join them on that trip, which ends on November 4.

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

The Pelicans are listing forwards Zion Williamson (hip), Brandon Ingram (head), and Herb Jones (knee) as questionable for Tuesday’s game vs. Dallas, writes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. Williamson and Ingram left Sunday’s loss after sustaining their respective injuries, while Jones tweaked his knee during that game, but it sounds like none of the three injuries are significant. Imaging on Jones’ knee came back clean, per head coach Willie Green.
Although Green told reporters today that Ingram wasn’t in the NBA’s concussion protocol, the Pelicans put out a press release announcing that Ingram is, in fact, in the protocol. Within the announcement, the team noted that the return-to-participation process can begin no earlier than 24 hours from the time of the injury, which is why Ingram can’t yet be cleared.
Raptors big man Chris Boucher has been cleared to make his regular season debut on Monday after missing the team’s first three games due to a hamstring issue, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Scottie Barnes remains questionable for Monday with an ankle sprain, but the fact that he’ll likely be a game-time decision is a sign that the injury isn’t as serious as the team initially feared it could be, Lewenberg observes.
In case you missed it, the Lakers ruled out two-way forward Cole Swider for at least the next four weeks due to a foot issue.

Pelicans Notes: Zion, Jones, Green, Marshall

October 23rd, 2022 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Returning to North Carolina on Friday was an important experience for the Pelicans‘ Zion Williamson, who played his first game at Charlotte since coming to the NBA, writes Alex Zietlow of The Charlotte Observer. Faced with frequent double teams, Williams was limited to 16 points, but he was excited for the chance to play in front of friends and family and raved about the talent that New Orleans has assembled.

“I say it a lot, our team is deep,” he said. “I haven’t played with a team like this throughout my life. Closest would be in college, but at the pro level, this is something different. And I say it all the time, this is a special team, and I’m excited to see what we’re going to do.”

Williamson was even more impressive in Wednesday’s season opener, with 25 points and nine rebounds in a decisive win at Brooklyn. It was an emphatic return after missing all of last season because of foot surgery, writes Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, and coach Willie Green said Williamson’s presence has been uplifting.

“I can see his energy starting to come back,” Green said. “That smile is real. It’s fun to have him back in the gym. He’s been very, very good and we look forward to him just continuing to build from here.”

There’s more from New Orleans:

Herb Jones, who took the league by storm with his defense during his rookie season, said in an interview with Michael Scott of HoopsHype that he developed his style by watching NFL defenders as well as NBA players. “I think my defense and how I see the game is something where I’ve tried to watch safeties in the NFL,” Jones said. “Ed Reed and Kam Chancellor, who was long and covered so much ground. I just tried to figure out how they were able to read and react to plays on that side of the field. I felt like if I could take pieces from their mentality, then I could roam around on the basketball court fairly easily.”
Expectations are higher than ever for the Pelicans going into tonight’s home opener, Rod Walker of NOLA.com notes in a subscriber-only story. Some national media members are pointing to New Orleans as a legitimate contender in the West. “That’s a good thing,” Green said. “It means we have a chance to be a good team. Those expectations aren’t higher than our own.”
The Pelicans’ reputation as an underdog has helped them connect with fans in New Orleans, per Christian Clark of NOLA.com. Naji Marshall said the public can identify with the obstacles the team overcame to reach the playoffs last season. “They saw us grind — just like New Orleans,” Marshall said. “They’ve been hit with tragedies, and they always bounce back. For them to see us bounce back from a bad season, it was huge.”

Pelicans Notes: Zion, McCollum, Ingram, Jones

October 13th, 2022 at 10:28am CST by Luke Adams

Within an in-depth feature by Howard Beck of SI.com, Pelicans star Zion Williamson said that he was in “dark places at times” while he spent last season recovering from a broken foot.

“I couldn’t play basketball. I could only do limited rehab things. And then just seeing how the world reacted? It took a lot. It did a lot on my spirit,” Williamson said, acknowledging that the criticism he faced from outside observers took a toll on him and his family.

Having leaned on assistant coaches Teresa Weatherspoon – whom Williamson described as being “like a big sister” – and Corey Brewer to help get him through the year, the former No. 1 overall pick believes he’s grown a lot and is in a much better place heading into the 2022/23 season, both mentally and physically.

After signing a five-year, maximum-salary extension with the Pelicans in the offseason, Williamson has also gotten a reprieve from questions about his commitment to New Orleans. Speaking to Beck, the fourth-year forward laughed off the speculation that he’d want to leave the Pelicans after getting a first-hand look at the team’s second-half surge and playoff appearance last season.

“People really out here think that I could witness something like that and then tell myself I don’t want to be (there)?” Williamson said.

Here’s more on Zion and the Pelicans:

Williamson left Wednesday’s preseason game with left ankle soreness, but the injury is considered minor, and the team only removed him for precautionary reasons, writes Andrew Lopez of ESPN. “It was one of those things where it happened and I popped back up, like, ‘Yeah, I’m straight,'” Williamson said. “Played a few minutes after that, it felt fine. Then they sent me to the back just to double-check. We wanted to look at it, had a doc look at it, and he just said a little day-to-day soreness. But outside of that, I personally feel fine. Wasn’t bad news from the docs.”
CJ McCollum returned to action on Wednesday after missing two preseason contests with a sore right ankle, while Brandon Ingram (toe) remained out. According to Will Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link), head coach Willie Green said that Ingram went through a full practice on Tuesday, and the forward himself told ESPN’s Lopez (Twitter link) that he thinks he’ll be able to play in the team’s preseason finale on Friday.
In his first diary entry for Andscape, McCollum (as relayed by Marc J. Spears) explains why he’s “genuinely excited” about playing in New Orleans and says he’s embracing the opportunity to be a vocal leader and the primary ball-handler and decision-maker in the backcourt after seeing Damian Lillard play that role in Portland.
In a story for The Athletic, Guillory profiles second-year forward Herbert Jones, who has the potential to raise the Pelicans’ ceiling if he continues to improve following a very promising rookie season.

Pelicans Notes: Offseason, Jones, Murphy, Alvarado, Zion

April 29th, 2022 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

When the Pelicans got off to a 1-12 start this season, it looked like the team was headed for another lottery finish and some difficult offseason questions. Instead, New Orleans managed to turn things around, earned a playoff berth via the play-in tournament, and gave the NBA-best Suns all they could handle in the first round of the playoffs.

“To get to the playoffs, we continued to believe in ourselves. Continued to get better, believing in this organization,” Brandon Ingram said after Thursday’s Game 6 loss, according to Will Guillory of The Athletic. “New coach. New players. Figuring it out so fast. You don’t think about it in the moment because we just lost, but we definitely came a long way from the beginning of the season.”

As Guillory writes, the first-round loss to Phoenix was a tough one, given how competitive the Pelicans made the series (they were outscored by a total margin of 668-659 across six games). But after laying a strong foundation of young talent, the franchise looks poised to remain competitive and continue improving in the coming years.

There are still some pressing offseason questions facing the Pelicans, with both Zion Williamson and Jaxson Hayes eligible for rookie scale extensions, but all of the team’s young players are under contract for 2022/23, Guillory notes. And while there has been plenty of speculation about Williamson’s long-term commitment to New Orleans, the team couldn’t have done much more this spring to make him want to be part of the future.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

The Pelicans wouldn’t have gotten as far as they did this season without the contributions they received from a trio of unheralded rookies, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN, who spotlights Herbert Jones, Trey Murphy, and Jose Alvarado. Jones emerged as a legitimate All-Defensive candidate, Murphy knocked down 38.2% of his three-point attempts, and Alvarado provided energy and hustle plays off the bench. All three players are under contract for multiple years going forward.
In his Pelicans offseason preview, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) examines the big decision the team must make on a potential Williamson extension and points out that veterans like CJ McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. will be extension-eligible this summer as well.
Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype also looks ahead to the Williamson contract negotiations and the other key roster decisions facing the Pelicans this summer. As Gozlan writes, New Orleans doesn’t have much breathing room below the projected luxury tax line, which will affect the club’s ability to make full use of its mid-level exception.

Southwest Notes: McCollum, Pelicans, Spurs, Rockets

April 15th, 2022 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans still have to win one more game in Los Angeles on Friday night in order to secure a playoff spot, but veteran guard CJ McCollum expressed confidence after New Orleans’ first play-in win over San Antonio on Wednesday that the team is pointed in the right direction in both the short- and long-term.

“This is the start of something special, for sure,” McCollum said, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN. “You see the energy. Feel the energy. My mother is in town; I have some family in town. When we go out to eat, you can feel the city is excited about basketball, as they should [be]. There’s a lot of talent here. We’re playing the game the right way. It’s going to be a lot of winning in our future.”

If the Pelicans can clinch the No. 8 seed, they’d be significant underdogs against the NBA-best Suns, with Zion Williamson still not expected to be available, so their playoff run could be brief. Still, McCollum is optimistic about what the future holds, according to Lopez, who writes that the 30-year-old says he plans to visit Williamson and other teammates at their houses this offseason to get to know them better.

“I think that’s how you build chemistry,” McCollum said. “That’s how you build cohesiveness.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Herbert Jones may not get any Rookie of the Year votes, but the first-year Pelicans forward helped spark a defensive turnaround in New Orleans this season, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com.
In his latest Substack article, Marc Stein says his best read on the Spurs‘ coaching situation is that Celtics assistant Will Hardy – who was formerly an assistant in San Antonio – could be at the front of the line to succeed Gregg Popovich if the longtime Spurs coach decides to step down this offseason.
After being named the G League MVP for 2021/22, Rockets two-way player Trevelin Queen also took home the Finals MVP award, averaging 34.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 3.5 APG on 56.1% shooting in a pair of Rio Grande Valley Vipers victories over the Delaware Blue Coats. Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle takes a closer look at Queen’s path to the NBA and explores what’s next for him. “I got emotional (signing a two-way contract earlier this season) because I’ve been waiting my whole life, but I just know there’s more work to do,” Queen said. “I know I can do more than the two-way, so I just want to let them know.”
In a mailbag for The Athletic, Kelly Iko answers readers’ questions about the Rockets‘ long-term view of a Jalen Green/Kevin Porter Jr. backcourt, the prospects Houston should target with Brooklyn’s first-round pick, and which free agents might be of interest to the team.