In the early afternoon hours at the team’s headquarters in Metairie, it’s been common recently to see groups of New Orleans Pelicans players and coaches gathered at lunch tables in the facility’s cafeteria, a venue they share with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. For free-agent signee Jimmer Fredette, who spent his first three NBA seasons with Sacramento and Chicago, the experience has already proven to be unique.
“It’s an amazing setup,” Fredette said. “(Saints and Pelicans owner Tom) Benson obviously when he took over the team wanted to make sure the basketball team had a top-notch facility, one of the best in the NBA. It’s awesome. We get lunch here. We get all of these different perks here. We get to meet some of the Saints (players) and coaches, and everybody’s kind of like a family, which is really cool to see. It’s something teams don’t have. We’re very lucky.”
Fredette has only been a member of the Pelicans since July 24, but in the last seven weeks he’s gotten well-acquainted with many of his new teammates. Every member of the current Pelicans roster has spent chunks of time in New Orleans recently, with the only exceptions being FIBA World Cup participants Anthony Davis and Omer Asik, as well as 34-year-old forward John Salmons, who just signed on Aug. 26.
“We’ve had 10 to 12 guys every single day working out here, trying to get better, trying to get acclimated to the new system, trying to get to know each other better,” Fredette said. “It’s only going to benefit us when we start practice at the end of the month. We’re really excited to be here and hit the ground running.”
Fredette, Tyreke Evans, Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday, along with assistant coach Randy Ayers, all spoke to local media members Thursday, providing a glimpse into what players have been working on in recent weeks. Young players including but not limited to Darius Miller, Jeff Withey, Russ Smith, Patric Young and Alexis Ajinca also worked out Thursday in the team’s year-old practice facility.
“I think they’re motivated this year,” Ayers said of the high participation rate at voluntary workouts. “It’s certainly good to have our veterans back (from season-ending injury last season), Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson, their presence. Tyreke Evans has been in all summer, rehabbing and working on his shot with (assistant coach) Fred Vinson. It’s been a good three weeks. Some of our young guys have been in for the last month, and it’s been a good working time for all of us.”
The franchise’s tie-in with the Saints not only has meant a shared eating area at lunchtime, but also provides players with other bonding opportunities and “perks” Fredette mentioned. During the Saints’ preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 28, Fredette attended the game with Anderson and Withey. The trio walked along the sidelines prior to kick-off.
Fredette has been surprised to see the high turnout of Pelicans players at such an early juncture of offseason preparations for 2014-15.
“I’m very excited. They said this is the most guys (that have participated in voluntary workouts) the earliest here,” Fredette said.
Anderson and Holiday spent portions of their offseason rehabbing from their injuries and decided to come to New Orleans early, even though they’re not cleared yet for full-bore, five-on-five games. Anderson said the injuries only added to players’ motivation to join teammates at workouts.
“I think every one of those guys (who were injured last season) would say that they’re excited to get back, excited to be healthy, enjoying the team and starting workouts out,” Anderson said. “We have guys here that don’t need to be here. But they’re here because they want to be better and they want to improve, and continue to develop and be around the guys.”