Pelicans Miss Opportunity to Build Confidence with Lackluster Preseason Performance

The three games didn't inspire much confidence for the Pelicans, knowing their deficiencies this year.

Oct 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr (10) looks to dunk against New Orleans Pelicans center Daniel Theis (10) during the first quarter at Toyota Center. / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans' preseason officially ended on Tuesday after a 118-98 loss to the Houston Rockets. New Orleans went 1-2 in their dress rehearsal before the season, with a game against the Orlando Magic canceled because of the impending threat of Hurricane Milton. Not many questions were answered in the three games, leaving many doubts on how this team will perform this season.

New Orleans 'Big 3' of Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson did not share the court during the preseason. Williamson played in the first two games but sat out the finale against the Rockets as a rest day. Ingram was only slated to play in the final game after Coach Willie Green said it was a collaborative decision for him to play just one game.

For a team with so much turnover from last season, it is a missed opportunity not to get together its best players on the court. Trey Murphy III is slated to miss the beginning of the season after injuring his hamstring during training camp. Without his offensive prowess and ability to stretch the defense with his three-point ability, the Pelicans must find a way to fit three pieces together who like to operate in the same part of the court.

For most of the summer, there was a message about opening up the offense to shoot more three-pointers. The Pelicans were near the bottom of the league in three-point attempts last season and have been near the bottom under head coach Willie Green. Ingram was pointed as a player who needs to increase his attempts to open the offense up. The former All-Star forward attempted just three on Tuesday, while the rest of the team struggled all preseason shooting the ball from deep.

New Orleans shot just 26% from distance in three games and also struggled to stop teams in the paint. Coach Green told reporters he thought his team played 'soft' against the Rockets. Houston outscored the Pelicans 60-34 in points in the paint and outrebounded New Orleans by double-digits. Those two factors cannot happen if the Pelicans expect to have any success this year.

I asked #Pelicans coach Willie Green about the team’s poor performance guarding the paint and rebounding against the Rockets. He candidly admitted his team played soft the other night @PelicansOnSI pic.twitter.com/ztjLwpabMf

— Terry Kimble (@TK_Nola) October 17, 2024

The team knew there were deficiencies with the roster construction and the lack of size in the interior. New Orleans did not outrebound any of its opponents during the preseason, and this will be an area of emphasis this season. The positives are Zion Williamson's health and Jordan Hawkins's progression. Both players were extremely successful during the preseason.

New Orleans opens their regular season on Oct. 23 against the Chicago Bulls. Getting off to a good start this year is imperative for the Pelicans to maintain positioning in the crowded Western Conference next year.