Pelicans rolling with well-seasoned reserves to replace key contributor

The injury-afflicted New Orleans Pelicans will spend the early part of the regular season trying to replace Trey Murphy III’s production. A hamstring strain will sideline Murphy III for at least a couple of weeks, meaning someone else from the bench will have to rise to the occasion. So far the Pelicans have put their trust in Jordan Hawkins and Antonio Reeves in certain situations.

Hawkins (UConn) and Reeves (Kentucky) are old-school, well-seasoned college prospects who should be able to step right into an NBA role. Hawkins finished with 20 points (6-13 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 5-5 FT) and two rebounds in 18 minutes against the Houston Rockets. That was a great last preseason impression to leave on the coaching staff.

Green even gave the second-year guard a stamp of approval after the final preseason game.

“(Hawkins) works at it and once he gets going it’s hard to stop,” Green replied. “His movement and force. He does it all at a high level. It is no coincidence that he is going out and playing with such confidence.”

This preseason has seen a big turnaround compared to what the team saw during Summer League play. Hawkins was hounded as the team’s lead guard but is looking far more comfortable working off the ball with the varsity squad.

“It feels good,” Hawkins admitted. “It just shows I’ve been working hard all summer. I’m just fighting for minutes, fighting for any time I can get…I’ve got to stay consistent.”

“Going into training camp, everything just felt more comfortable,” Hawkins added. “I’m not second-guessing myself. A lot of guys come into the league as rookies and don’t really know what to expect. I wasn’t really nervous about basketball. It was more nerves like, ‘What is my life going to be like now? I’m on my own as an adult for the first time.'”

Pelicans running with Jordan Hawkins, Antonio Reeves