DALLAS – Two days after joining New Orleans on a 10-day contract, Hollis Thompson will jump right into the starting lineup for the Pelicans, in an important Southwest Division game Saturday against the Mavericks. The situation is the result of a confluence of events, including that Thursday’s starter at the position vs. Houston, E’Twaun Moore, will not play Saturday due to personal reasons.
New Orleans (23-35) is very short-handed in the backcourt, requiring the signing of Thompson on Thursday, as well as adding Jarrett Jack yesterday and Reggie Williams this morning. Along with those three new Pelicans, the only guards available for the visiting team are Jrue Holiday and Tim Frazier.
“He’s a good shooter, and he’s been in the league,” Alvin Gentry said of Thompson. “He’s got a reputation as being a good shooter, and statistically he’s been one. So we’ll throw him out there and see what he can do.”
Other notes from pregame in Texas:
Gentry on the combined track record of Thompson, Jack and Williams: “We talked about trying to add some guys who obviously have experience and have played (significantly) in NBA games. Because we don’t have that big time slot, where we can bring guys in and try to incorporate them (gradually). So we tried to find some guys who have either been here or have played in a system very similar.” …
Dallas will debut Nerlens Noel in tonight’s game. The former piece of “The Process” in Philadelphia was dealt on Thursday prior to trade deadline; Rick Carlisle said Noel will not start tonight, but that the Mavericks traded for him to eventually be a starter.