New Orleans Pelicans Youngster Has Much-Needed Hot Start to Preseason

A New Orleans Pelicans young player looking to prove himself got off to a good start in the exhibition season.

Oct 7, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) shoots against New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins (24) during the first half at Smoothie King Center. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans got their 2024 NBA preseason started on Monday afternoon at Smoothie King Center against the Orlando Magic. It was a successful outing, as they picked up a 106-104 victory.

While the outcome doesn’t count for much in the long run, they are important for some players on the team. It is a chance for young guys to gain live, in-game inexperience that will hopefully carry into the regular season.

One of the players who people are keeping a close eye on is Jordan Hawkins.

A first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft out of UConn, he played in 67 games as a rookie, making 10 starts. He averaged 7.8 points in 17.3 minutes per game, showcasing good shooting ability with his 36.6 3-point percentage.

During the summer, the team attempted to expand his responsibility on the court in Las Vegas. The results were not positive as he isn’t ready to run an offense as his playmaking, decision-making and ball-handling need refinement.

It was better to learn that in July than in November when games count.

Heading into the season, there were some people down on the young sharpshooter. But, he is going to have a role out of the gate with Trey Murphy injured.

If the preseason opener against the Magic was a sign of things to come, Pelicans fans are going to be very happy. In a team-high 21 minutes off the bench, the UConn product scored a game-high 18 points.

He was 5-of-8 overall from the field, knocking down 2-of-5 3-point attempts. His aggressiveness was rewarded as he got to the foul line for seven attempts, making six. Hawkins rounded out his stat line with two assists, one rebound, two blocks and only one turnover.

HAWK 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️@golive23 | @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/IcEZ30M9gG

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 7, 2024

A positive impact was made, as he finished the game +4 as well.

While some lineup combinations will be used throughout the exhibition games so Green can find different lineups that work, it looks clear that Hawkins will be part of the rotation on Opening Night.

After playing about 9.5 minutes in the third quarter, he didn’t check back in for the fourth. That is as good of a sign as any that he will crack Green’s rotation out of the gate as end-of-the-bench players handled the final 12 minutes of play.