Pelicans Media Day: A Focus on Competition and Comradery
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During Pelicans Media Day, the central theme echoed by many was the level of competition this team will have during camp and how close-knit of a group this is. Everyone mentioned how talented this team is, from Coach Green to CJ McCollum, heading into the season.
That talent means everyone only gets to play for a short time. For the New Orleans Pelicans, this is an excellent problem to have.
Sep 26, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) poses for a photo during media day at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
David Griffin mentioned how competitive this year's camp would be, with so many guys vying for time and opportunities. With a roster that can quickly go 10 or 11 deep on most nights, the emphasis will be on guys maximizing this potential to prove what they can do on the court. There may be nights when some guys play a lot and other nights when they don't play at all.
That competition has kept the team from spending a lot of time together. CJ McCollum mentioned the key to being a close-knit group is spending time off the court together. Coach Green said how instrumental Brandon Ingram was in organizing the group for off-season workouts and how important that would be for the team moving forward.
Ingram spoke about seeing the guys during the off-season was good. Checking in and learning about guys' personalities and tendencies will translate nicely on the court. As B.I. says, "you are going to war with your brothers," so getting to know them on a personal level is a necessity.
The "team" mantra was mentioned several times during the presser.
Trajan Langdon said how that talent could affect the team play, "We have a lot of depth. We can go small. We can go big. We can play fast. We can play slow...This group is committed to each other."
Each player also echoed how much easier their job will be with the return of Zion Williamson to the court. Zion says this is the healthiest he has felt in a long time and how ready he is to make an impact back on the court.
It will be up to Coach Green to find the right fits with the abundance of talent that is currently on the team.
That journey starts soon with the season right around the corner; the Pelicans open preseason play on October 8th against the Chicago Bulls. Those preseason games and the training camp will go a long way to prove just what guys have the right stuff to contribute.
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