What The New Orleans Pelicans Said About Their Preseason Opening Victory

The Pelicans had plenty to say about their 106-104 victory against the Orlando Magic.

Oct 7, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) reacts during the first half against the Orlando Magic at Smoothie King Center. / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

On Monday afternoon, the New Orleans Pelicans opened their preseason slate with a 106-104 victory over the Orlando Magic. The game was the first glimpse fans and prognosticators saw of the Pelicans' revamped small-ball lineup and newly acquired guard Dejounte Murray. Head coach Willie Green seemed pleased postgame with how his starters looked and even how his team performed in clutch time.

“Yeah, it was a fun game. I love the fact that all the concepts that we’ve been working on in training camp, you can see a lot of carry-over, and that’s refreshing, to know that these guys are taking that information and they’re applying it," Green told reporters postgame. "That’s what preseason is for, to get your group together, get them on the floor, make sure that we’re fundamentally sound."

One of the team's biggest weaknesses last season was closing late games. New Orleans was 0-24 when trailing after three quarters and blew multiple double-digit leads to lose games. Monday's contest didn't feature any starters in the closing lineup, but seeing New Orleans execute well down the stretch was refreshing. The Pelicans believe their splash acquisition of Murray this offseason can ail some of their issues in the clutch.

The former All-Star guard excelled in clutch situations last year, making three buzzer-beating shots and averaging the third-most points in such situations. Pelicans star forward Zion Williamson is excited about the chance to play with Murray this year because of his playmaking ability. The former Hawks guard finished the game with a team-high six assists.

"With Dejounte, I was making a joke cause I joke with CJ, 'It's the first time in a while I've played with a real point guard'," Williamson said postgame. "With Dejounte, I'm setting certain screens and have to roll faster... Now you have a true PG who is looking to make the pass first."

Murray sets the table offensively, so the guard should help his teammates get quality looks from the three-point line. Second-year sharpshooter Jordan Hawkins could make a major impact this year with his shooting prowess. The former UConn champion led the team in scoring on Monday with 18 points and showed supreme confidence, which justified why the Pelicans drafted him in the first round in 2023.

“He can bring a lot to this team," Williamson said about Hawkins. "For anybody who was watching last season, he had a few 30-balls. His confidence was never the problem. For him now it’s learning the game more.”

New Orleans has a few days off before heading to Orlando to play this same Magic team on Friday. Monday was the Pelicans' only home game this preseason.