The New Orleans Pelicans held a practice at St. Augustine High School in an effort to connect with the city.
One of the first things that New Orleans Pelicans head coach Jamahl Mosley said at his introductory press conference was that he was serious about the connection between an NBA team and its city.
“I’m extremely and truly grateful for this opportunity to be a part of this organization, to be a part of this franchise, to be a part of this community. I don’t take it lightly; there’s a responsibility that comes with it,” said Mosley. “We’re going to do some great things for this city, for this community.”
Training camp just began a couple of days ago, and he's already proving that he's a man of his word. On Saturday, the Pelicans held practice at the gym of St. Augustine High School, embracing the community.
“[We did it because of] the history of this school, what it means to the city. I’ve had multiple phone calls from people that went here, this own fraternity of young men that have been here,” said the coach. “So I think it’s so important that we just continue to pour into this city, but also just represent it the right way, and this is a great place to do it.”
It was a real practice, too, not just for show. The play in the scrimmages was intense; players were chippy and arguing with the refs. The competitiveness was something that shone through early. Mosley said that this was the only practice where they had repeated the same groups against each other, because the players were so insistent on it after how fiery it was the day before.
The new coach has been very big on "iron sharpens iron," with both himself and a few players repeating the phrase so far this season.
As for what happened on the court during practice, it is very clear that the defense is far ahead of the offense. Almost no one was making shots consistently, and there was little teamwork and communication on that side of the floor. Defensively, though, the team seemed anew.
Mosley said that's by design. This early into camp, defenses should always be ahead. Especially on this team, which has put such a heavy emphasis on what
Derik Queen is someone with eyes on his defensive adjustments. It was a small sample size for him, but he does seem to be progressing in at least his effort and knowledge of what to do on that side. He moved better on that side, but people were still able to gain an advantage when driving into him.
The same on offense, as he was unable to finish at the rim consistently. One area that was a big positive was him getting a three-point attempt off, which is an area he wants to add in order to be a better fit for this lineup. He didn't make it, but it was a good shot and something that could unlock this offense.
Speaking of unlocking the offense, Zion Williamson also attempted a mid-range jumper, another focus of this offseason. It wasn't something he went to consistently yet, though, so we'll have to see if it actually develops as an asset for him.
The MVP of the practice was probably Trendon Watford, he was someone who stood out in terms of effort, communication and a balance of offensive and defensive success. Given that his contract isn't guaranteed and he needs to make the roster, it's no surprise. His skillset does seem like a perfect fit for this bench as a bit of a jack-of-all-trades.
The most interesting part of practice was the end-of-game situation they ran at the end. "Team Blue" had most of what would be considered the starting lineup. "Team Red" consisted of more bench/depth players like the sophomores, Bennedict Mathurin, Saddiq Bey and Herb Jones. Team Red ended up running away with it, as they had the better day overall.
Clutch situations haunted the team last season. Essentially only Bey showed up late in games in important situations. This is a trend they will certainly look to buck at some point, but it doesn't look like that time is yet.
It's important to remember that it is very early in camp with a new coaching staff, so it'll take some time to get going. Overall, though, this was a great day for both the team and the community.
Drop any questions about the practice below!
