NEW ORLEANS – Even though it’s only the preseason, it’s nice to walk away with a victory. The New Orleans Pelicans did just that, holding on to defeat the Orlando Magic, 106-104 in the preseason opener for both teams.
Zion Williamson scored 16 points in 19 minutes, all in the first half. He also grabbed eight rebounds, dished out three assists, and had two steals, in a solid performance. Williamson looked ready to go from the outset, as head coach Willie Green put the ball in Zion’s hands, allowing him to work in the pick and roll and go one-on-one.
“It felt great,” Williamson said. “Just especially being back on the court with my teammates. I felt pretty good out there, and I just going to go and build off that.”
For the most part, the Pelicans saw what they needed to from their starters, minus Brandon Ingram. Ingram missed the game to get some additional rest, though he did take the floor during warmups to work with coaches and get up some shots.
Dejounte Murray looked good in his Pelicans debut. The team was +10 during his 17 minutes, second-best among the starting lineup. He had six assists and one turnover, adding six points and three rebounds to the stat sheet. Murray would like to shoot better than 2-for-9 (0-4 on 3PA), but when he was open he didn’t hesitate to let it fly.
CJ McCollum had three of the Pelicans’ 12 three-pointers, scoring nine points in 15 minutes. McCollum also grabbed three rebounds and registered a block. A veteran of 11 training camps, CJ played hard enough to show he’s ready to compete for a starting job and the regular season to begin.
Herb Jones opened the scoring for the Pelicans, knocking down a long two from the corner. Jones scored all five of his points in the first 90 seconds of the game. In typical fashion, Jones snagged a pair of steals on the defensive end.
Daniel Theis finished second among the starters with 13 points, making 6-of-7 from the floor. He also posted a team high +11 during his 20 minutes of action. He was usually in the right place at the right time on the offensive end, though he is not best suited as a finisher in the dunker spot opposite Williamson.
Jordan Hawkins came off the bench to lead all scorers with 18 points. Hawkins was 5-for-8 from the floor, including 2-of-5 on his three-point attempts.
Jose Alvarado filled the box with seven points, five assists, four rebounds, two steals, one block, though he would like to have his four turnovers back.
Yves Missi displayed aggressiveness on both ends of the floor, as well as a surprising floor game on offense. His inexperience was exploited defensively, leading to five fouls. But if Missi continues to develop at his current pace, he will find minutes sooner than expected.
Malcolm Hill and Jamal Cain may not make the final roster, but both took advantage of their playing time. Hill scored 11 points in eight minutes (3-of-5 FGA) and Cain scored eight points in 12 minutes, making three of his four field goal attempts.
The Pelicans shot 40 three-pointers against the Magic. During the 2023-24 regular season, New Orleans attempted 40 threes in a game 11 times, posting a 9-2 record in those games. They were 15-8 (.652) when they shot more than 35 triples last season, 34-25 (.576) in all other games.
Since the start of the 2022-23 season, the Pelicans are 13-4 (.764) when they attempt 40 or more three-pointers. New Orleans is 24-13 (.648) when shooting at least 36 three pointers, compared to 67-60 (.527) in the rest of their regular season games.
The Pelicans were 32-10 (.761) when they made 12 or more three pointers during the 2023-24 season, 17-23 (.425) in their other 40 games.
Green admits he wasn’t always enamored with his players shooting the triple so freely, but he’s become a convert with the assistance of James Borrego. “Just growing up coaches would always tell us ‘don’t let ’em off the hook’ because you’re wide open for a three,” Green said. “It’s not letting them off the hook…It’s just becoming more comfortable with knowing those are great looks for us. Those are quality shots.”
“On the sideline when they miss a couple, I gotta still be okay with that. Because over the course of a season, it’s been proven that we’re a pretty good three-point percentage team.”
The Pelicans finished fourth in the NBA in 3P% last season, converting 38.3% of their attempts. That’s up from 33.2% in Green’s first season, and 36.4% during the 2022-23 season.
Monday, 14 different Pelicans shooters attempted at least one three-pointer, including Zion Williamson.
The Pelicans were competitive on the boards, and outrebounded the Magic 10-6 on the offensive glass. They outscored Orlando from inside and outside the arc, though Orlando was +11 in free throws made and +14 in attempts. New Orleans also had more assists, steals, and blocks.
It was a promising debut for the Pels. The kinks still need to be worked out, and time will tell if they stick to playing with pace and aggression. But, for a matinee performance, you’d have to give it a “thumbs up.”
The Pelicans are scheduled to face the Magic again on Friday in Orlando.
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