Tyrese Maxey poured in 3-pointers to earn Player of the Game
One thing that was readily apparent as the preseason wore on for the New Orleans Pelicans: The Coby White/Tyrese Maxey/Anfernee Simons/Karl-Anthony Towns/Mark Williams starting five was the best possible lineup, the Grand Experiment of White as quiet distributor and defender running the offense and Simons smashing down at SF the winner. How much so? That +13.3 Net Rating easily dwarfed anything of significant minutes, and they just kept playing better and better as the exhibition season went on. From 3-1 to 4-5 to finally end at 10-8.
Even more surprising: Moses Brown quite literally shot his way out of the rotation and went from untouchable front office darling to third string big man and sitting third in the depth chart (sources say he's still liable to get tapped over Goga Bitadze should injury happen to Mark Williams, however, based on preseason metrics). So the PredictIt markets have him playing elsewhere next season - already a strong probability given the need to re-sign Williams and Maxey.
And oh, Tyrese Maxey. On an ugly shooting opening night for the lineup that saw the starters shoot 39.3% from the floor, Coby White held to 2 points and 2 assists, and Anfernee Simons scoring just 8, Maxey was Maxey, pouring in 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists to earn Player of the Game in a suffocating 95-79 home victory over the Toronto Raptors. You might be impressed with KAT's 14 points, 7 rebounds, a steal, and 2 blocks, until you realize he shot 33.3% from the floor. Mark Williams didn't eye-pop offensively either - 9 points and 5 rebounds - but he brought down the defensive hammer with 4 blocks and 4 steals.
So where did the other scoring from? The newly configured Defense First second team. Scotty Pippen Jr was the surprise pick at backup PG and hit 3/5 from downtown for 9 points, Cedric Henderson Jr was an even bigger shock at SG, where he was 4/5, 3/4 from behind the arc for 11 points, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper drilled 6 of his 7 shots for 12 points to lead the bench mob in scoring.
Even more impressively - the bench outplayed their Raptors counterparts despite not having a single stock among them.
Foul trouble plagued Justin Patton and former Jestor reclamation project Hamdiou Diallo, while another former Jestor draftee, Jaylen Hoard was pressed in to duty and shot well (5-10), but was eaten alive defensively. Tyrell Terry, brought over from Milwaukee to provide 3 point pop and scoring sizzle? 0/6 with 0 points in 42 minutes.
"We just completely shut them down," said a Pelicans fan, happy after the win. "The defense is so suffocating, and that's really what we were built on last year. You want to play us, you're wrestling in the mud with the pigs. Bullyball, just brutal, low-scoring, first to 100 wins usually."
Even more shocking? Every other Southwest team either lost or didn't play, meaning for one day, the Pelicans are atop the Southwest
"It won't last of course," Doc Rivers laughed. "We started hot last year too, and we all know what that turned into. Still, great way to start the season."
Less fortunate?
Seeing Josh Giddey go over for 16 points, 23 assists, and 17 rebounds to go with a steal as the Orlando Magic stunned the Chicago Bulls in the season opener. Victor "Wemby" Wenbanyama took his being traded away personally, putting up 22 points, 13 rebounds, a steal, and 3 blocks in the 121-107 track meet win. He also harassed Jaren Jackson Jr to a 4 of 13 night.
As a West Scout noted, "Wemby came out PISSED! I've never seen him so fired up. He was really angry at going from being the build-around guy with the Pelicans to Anfernee Simons and Tyrese Maxey being the big stars, and he was determined to prove everyone wrong that Kofi Cockburn is the best big in the class."
Angry too, was Anthony Edwards, who took the Detroit Free Press' comments that "is this the best Anthony Edwards is going to be?" by nailing 13 of 27 shots, including 5 of 6 behind the arc, for 32 points and 2 steals.
"Absolute statement game from the Magic," chuckled the scout. "They got sick of everyone crowning Chicago's asses in the Central and all the shit they've eaten for years, and decided to show the CSL what's what."
