Pelicans Holding Player-Only Practices In Laguna Beach
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The New Orleans Pelicans are still six weeks away from their preseason opener but over half of the team has gathered in Laguna Beach for a player-led training camp. Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Devonte' Graham, Dyson Daniels, Jaxson Hayes, and Kira Lewis Jr. are all in the Los Angeles area relaxing in preparation for the next two weeks of work before the team's official training camp starts.
Dereon Seabron and John Butler, both on two-way contracts, are also en route to the player-only practices. Larry Nance Jr. is one of the first veterans to arrive in the Los Angeles area. Brandon Ingram, who usually holds private workouts near his Phoenix-area base camp, is expected to join the group soon.
CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson's participation is not yet known publically. McCollum has been very engaged and even called out his teammates for not answering the phone. Not showing up opens him up to the same teasing from the younger players. Williamson has been seen working up a sweat on local New Orleans outdoor courts.
While neither McCollum nor Williamson has made any confirming social media posts but Jose Alvarado decided to step away from Puerto Rico National Team duty to get ready for his sophomore season. The battles for the backup guard minutes will be fierce from the first jump.
While most of the guards on the depth chart will be in California, Jonas Valanciunas will likely take another week to rest after leading Lithuania in two FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. Lithuania beat Hungary 88-78 on August 24 and will face Montenegro on August 27. There is no point in Valanciunas pushing the limits to fly back to the United States before enjoying the Labor Day holiday.
Even the players in California have their eyes on the pool. Murphy III, Hayes, Lewis Jr., Graham, Daniels, and Jones all posted pictures of the same swimming hole from their hotel room windows. Seabron and Nance Jr. were after bigger fish, pointing their cameras towards the Pacific Ocean.
Head Coach Willie Green is not allowed in the gym per the CBA but he needs not to worry about his team right now. Everyone has been active this summer hosting camps and joining Pro-Am runs. Coach Green will not even be in the country when the voluntary runs begin. He will be in Africa helping the Basketball Without Borders crew spread their love for the game.
The buy-in from the whole squad speaks to the culture being built by the front office and the work ethic of the individual players. Combine the two together and this team believes it will all add up to another playoff run.
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