WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – The closest NBA city, Charlotte, is a four-hour drive, so you could understand Thursday if some younger fans had wide-eyed looks on their faces as they walked into The Greenbrier’s indoor facility, where the New Orleans Pelicans held a two-hour open practice. It was a unique opportunity for West Virginia residents to see an NBA roster up close and personal, which explains why one group entered the gym and exclaimed, “Hey, that’s Ryan Anderson!”
Once a semi-informal intrasquad scrimmage began, Anderson did his best to demonstrate what some fans may have only seen before on TV, repeatedly draining long-range bombs. In a game that featured only three 10-minute quarters, Anderson unofficially totaled 24 points, including draining six three-pointers (causing a local to yell at the opposing defense “Somebody better get a hand up!”). Meanwhile, Pelicans shooting guard Eric Gordon used an array of quick drives to the basket, often finishing with his left hand, to pile up 22 points in the first half.
The two key Pelicans’ offensive exploits were among the highlights Thursday, in front of several hundred spectators, packed tightly into The Greenbrier’s reconfigured tennis facility. New Orleans also showed some of what it hopes to do during the 2015-16 season, constantly pushing the ball and trying to create fast-break chances. In a nod to the team’s emphasis on an up-tempo attack, the scrimmage used 18-second shot clocks. The shorter clocks force players to make quicker decisions and move the ball.
Another element of the scrimmage likely to be a greater part of the Pelicans’ offense this season was a reliance on three-point attempts. There were no stats available on the number of attempts, but unofficially the Blue and White teams combined to drill 17 three-pointers. Seven different Pelicans made at least one trey in the three-quarter game, including combo forward Dante Cunningham, who sank a corner three he’s been working on recently. Cunningham has made two regular season treys over his six-year NBA career, but has the green light in Alvin Gentry’s system to fire from beyond the arc.
Incidentally, there was no final score kept, with the score reset at the beginning of each quarter and players frequently changing between the two teams.