Five Things to Watch for in Pelicans' Preseason Opener

The New Orleans Pelicans have spent training camp talking about a fresh start. Tuesday night brings the first chance to see what that looks like.

After a 26-56 season, New Orleans opens the preseason against Oklahoma City in Tulsa with a new coach and familiar questions about how its talent fits together. Jamahl Mosley doesn't need to have all the answers immediately. But his choice, and his players' responses, should begin telling us where this team is headed.

1. What does Jahmhl Mosley's starting lineup tell us?

Tuesday's starters won't necessisarily be the opening-night five. Availability and planned workloads will influence the decision. Still, the lineup should offer an early indication of Mosely's priorities.

Does he lean toward Dejounte Murray's experience or Jeremiah Fears' speed? Does Yves Missi start beside Zion Williamson, or does Mosley create more space by using Saddiq Bey in a smaller frontcourt.

New Orleans used 31 starting combinations last season. Continuity would help, but repeating a lineup only matters if the pieces complement one another.

The Fears-Herb Jones-Trey Murphy III-WIlliamson-MIssi combination produced some nice results in roughly 46 minutes last season (+20.8 per 100). Its appeal is clear. The group has downhill creation, perimeter defense, shooting, and a center who can finish without needing plays called for him.

Watch whether those roles remain clear once the ball goes up.

2. Is Mosley testing a rotation or emptying the bench?

The first substitutions may reveal as much as the starters. Who enters first? Which starters stay on the floor? Does Mosley stagger his creators, or turn the offense over to an entirely new group?

Bennedict Mathurin's scoring, Bey's versatility, and Jordan Poole's shooting give Mosley different options. The challenge is surrounding them with enough defense and organizing possessions so everyone has a useful role.

Last season's lineup results illustrate the stakes. The Fears-Murphy-Williamson-Missi group struggled with Bey in Jones' spot, getting outscored by 18.3 points per 100 possessions in roughly 42 minutes. That's not definitive proof Bey caused the problems; opponents, timing and shooting variance matter. It does make defensive balance worth watching.

Mosley may also revisit the group of Murray, Jones, Murphy, Bey, and Williamson that produced a 123.4 offensive rating (9.8 net) over nine games.

Neither of those samples establishes a preferred lineup or rotation. Both give Mosley something to test before the game shifts toward camp players who could ultimately join the Laketown Squadron.

3. Does the effort survive mistakes?

Early enthusiasm should be expected from the "new" Pelicans in their first game with under a new coach in front of a hostile crowd. The better test comes after the initial adrenaline wears off and there's a turnover, a missed assignment, or an opponent's scoring run.

Do the Pelicans sprint back, communicate and finish the next possession with a rebound? Or does one mistake become three?

Mosley's defensive principles will take time to set in. Getting back, making contact on box-outs, and chasing loose balls can start right now.

Preseason requires that teams manage workloads. It still offers opportunities to establish standards. However long they're on the floor, the Pelicans should play with passion and purpose.

4. Does Zion actually use the jumper?

Zion has been working on his shooting all offseason. Now it's time to see whether that work carries into possessions against another team.

An open catch-and-shoot three, a midrange jumper against a backpedaling defender, and a pull-up off the dribble would each reveal something different about Zion's comfort and how Mosley plans to use him.

The key is whether he takes the chances he gets decisively. Passing up every open jumper keeps defenses comfortable crowding the paint. Forcing difficult shots doesn't solve that problem, either.

One make won't validate the offseason hype. One miss won't erase the hours spent in the gym. Watch his willingness, balance, and decision-making, and whether defenders begin respecting the possibility that he will shoot.

5. Can Derik Queen earn trust at center?

Queen's second-year opportunity is real. So are the responsibilities attached to it.

His appearance can't tell us whether his conditioning has improved. But watching if he sprints into screens, recovers after helping on defense, holds his position, and consistently finds someone to box out will be tangible indicators.

His fit with Zion will be under intense scrutiny. Last season New Orleans was outscored by more than 11 points per 100 possessions across their 711 shared minutes last season, the worst of any duo on the Pelicans.

That result belongs to the entire lineup, and not Queen alone. Still, that's a major warning sign. Better communication, positioning, and rebounding from him would help give their partnership a better chance of success.

Queen is far from a finished product. However, in his second season he needs to show that his skills and his effort can hold up possession after possession. That's how a player goes from promising to productive.

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