New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green and Pelicans players recap the team's preseason opener against the Orlando Magic on October 6, 2021. The Pelicans won 104-86 against the Magic in their 2021-22 NBA preseason home opener.
PELICANS HEAD COACH WILLIE GREEN
On the team's overall performance tonight:
"What I liked best was it was an ugly win for us. We didn't shoot the ball particularly well, we got off to a slow start like you
mentioned, but we grinded with our defense. Our defense created offense for us. It's what we talked about. Our mentality at
home, no matter who we play, it just set the tone for what type of team we will be."
On Jonas Valančiūnas’s toughness:
"He's a competitor. Jonas, he gets in there and mixes it up. Look, he got two technical (fouls) in preseason. He got kicked out.
So, I haven't seen that before. I'm not paying his fine, but I don't mind the fact that he's trying to set the tone."
PELICANS FORWARD HERBERT JONES
On what it's like getting playing center with Jaxson Hayes out:
"I mean, I love it. I'm here to help the team in whatever way they need me to help them, and if that's playing the five, I love
doing it."
On what it's like seeing Trey Murphy III shoot the ball from three-point range so well during the first two preseason
games:
"I mean, it's nothing we haven't seen. He does it all the time in practice. He showed it in Summer League, and he's showing i t
now. Hopefully he keeps shooting the ball as well as he is."
PELICANS GUARD KIRA LEWIS JR.
On what Willie Green has told him he needs to keep doing to earn playing time:
"Just be myself, be a downhill-goer.I get in the lane, make plays for my teammates, for myself, run the offense, play defense,
and just always come in and be myself and do what I do."
On what he saw out of Jonas Valančiūnas tonight at center:
"Like you said, he can do a little bit of everything, post up, early entry, set great screens, great roller, he can shoot the ball. He
really doesn't have any holes as far as a big man, so he's a big piece to our team’s success,and I'm looking forward to how he
keeps playing down the season."