Bulls (1-0), Pelicans (0-1)
CHICAGO – NBA teams spend the offseason envisioning what their new talent and rotations might look like on the court. On Sunday, New Orleans finally received the opportunity to see it in competition against one of the league’s other 29 teams, with several encouraging signs.
Free-agent additions Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton logged extended first-half minutes with the other Pelicans starters, while rookie Frank Jackson made his unofficial pro debut, after missing all of 2017-18 due to foot surgery. That trio combined to deliver numerous positive moments, with Randle showing off his all-around prowess, Payton pushing the pace and Jackson firing from the perimeter and cutting to the basket.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Chicago’s Antonio Blakeney dropped in a floater to give the home team a 10-point lead with just over two minutes remaining in regulation. New Orleans closed the game with a unit almost exclusively comprised of training camp invitees.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Randle provided several glimpses of how well he might fit into New Orleans’ fast-paced offensive attack Sunday, using his muscle and aggression to get to the foul line or score in the paint. Randle has a reputation for being a “bull in a china shop” on the floor – as Solomon Hill described Randle last week – but he’s also a fluid athlete with the versatility to work off the dribble or take perimeter shots.
Randle finished with 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in his 25 minutes. Randle and Payton were the only starters to play more than 18 minutes.
POSITIONAL FOCUS: POINT GUARD
The Pelicans have often stressed in training camp that whoever grabs a defensive rebound has the freedom to start a fast break, almost regardless of whoever it is. With that in mind, when New Orleans is creating turnovers and bad shots by the opposition, players like Randle and Anthony Davis sometimes will be in playmaking roles. On Sunday, Payton was the starter at point guard and showed some of his distributing skills and ability to get into the paint, where he’s an above-average finisher at his position, particularly at 6-4. When Payton left the floor, Frank Jackson and Ian Clark took over some of the ballhandling responsibilities, as well as Darius Morris later in the second half. Veteran point Jarrett Jack did not play; the Pelicans will coincidentally be playing at his alma mater Monday when they visit the Hawks at Georgia Tech.
BY THE NUMBERS
31/58: Pelicans shooting from two-point range. New Orleans struggled from beyond the arc, particularly early, but scored at a steady rate by getting closer to the hoop.
18: New Orleans turnovers, an issue Alvin Gentry pointed to as part of why the Pelicans struggled on defense, giving the Bulls too many easy opportunities.
16: Jackson points in his first pro game, tying Holiday for New Orleans team scoring honors. Jackson was 4/8 from three-point range.