However, Zeng Xingyang, the University of Kentucky’s top pick senior, did not lead the Pelicans out of their predicament. Instead, their record has always been at the bottom of the Western Conference, making Davis very frustrated staying here.
This has little to do with Anthony Davis’s ability; the main reason is the management’s incompetence.
When they make moves, they often pay a price for a player, only to let him leave for free when his contract expires.
And the high draft picks over the past few years have been in vain, failing to bring substantive improvements to the team’s strength.
The Pelicans’ system and lineup are very chaotic.
This season, the Pelicans have a record of 9 wins and 19 losses, ranking lower than the Nuggets.
Their overall strength cannot be considered strong, but at their home court, it’s not easy for the Nuggets to beat them effortlessly.
In the dilapidated hotel conference room of the New Orleans team.
Mike Malone introduced two new players to meet with the team.
When Jeremy Grant learned he was being traded away from Philadelphia, he was somewhat reluctant, but upon knowing his destination was the Nuggets, he immediately became hopeful.
Playing alongside Jokic and Zeng Xingyang, he’d get more opportunities to receive the ball than with the 76ers.
The 76ers were terrible; everyone was selfish and wanted to attack individually, which made him uncomfortable.
Jeremy Grant is very confident in his talent, believing he can secure a foothold in the Nuggets and earn a stable rotation role. The Nuggets’ starting power forwards, whether Faried or Gallinari, have obvious flaws, while he seems more perfect.
Jeremy Grant high-fived and shoulder-bumped every teammate one by one.
When it was Zeng Xingyang’s turn, Jeremy Grant was a bit cautious, "Hello, Zeng, glad to see you again."
Jeremy Grant knows Zeng Xingyang’s status in the Nuggets now, and he doesn’t want to offend the team’s core figure right away.
"Haha, Jeremy, welcome aboard," Zeng Xingyang nodded and greeted.
The other newcomer, Pope, was a bit more reserved. After a brief self-introduction, he quietly sat in his seat without saying much.
Pope was a bit surprised about coming to the Nuggets from the Pistons; he didn’t expect the team would just trade him like that.
He found out about his trade from the news.
At that moment, he felt the cruelty of the NBA.
His current mindset is to quickly establish a foothold in the Nuggets so he won’t be so passive again in the future.
Zeng Xingyang knows both of them have good prospects for future development.
In his impression, Pope is a 3-and-D player with a good finishing ability, a great asset in perimeter defense, and he played a crucial role in both the Lakers’ and Nuggets’ championships.
Jeremy Grant is a well-rounded player on both offense and defense, eventually growing into a leader for the Pistons. Though it’s a bad team, he was still the leader.
However, judging by the stats, they are still in the developing phase.
Pope is averaging 14 points and 4 rebounds this season, with a shooting percentage of only 42% and a three-point percentage of just 30%.
Grant is averaging 10 points and 5 rebounds, with a shooting percentage of 41% and a two-point percentage of 24%.
These shooting percentages are quite glaring, possibly a result of the team’s system, but undeniably partly due to their abilities as well.
Zeng Xingyang can only hope their growth rate can keep up with his and Jokic’s, otherwise, the team might undergo more changes.
After the brief introduction, Mike Malone began the pre-game arrangements.
After emphasizing the tactics, he said to the two newcomers:
"KCP, if you want stable playing time on the team, you need to bring your defense from Detroit. We require every player to be able to defend. Your one-on-one defense and pick-and-roll defense are good — that’s your advantage. Additionally, I hope you can make open three-pointers, as there are plenty of open three-point opportunities here."
"Tonight, you’ll start, and the playing time will depend on your performance."
Mike Malone is quite satisfied with the team’s trade this time. Although they traded away Barton, an offensive initiator, the team’s defense will improve, which is the direction the team hopes to move forward."
Pope nodded, "OK, understood, I will give my all."
Pope noticed the clear difference between the Nuggets and the Pistons. Here, they value him more, starting him right away, and also clearly telling him what to do.
Defense, just defend fiercely!
Mike Malone then addressed Grant: "Jeremy, the team also requires you to focus on defense. Considering that your shooting is still unstable, try not to take shots if unnecessary; instead, attack and cut inside more, and lastly, learn to distribute the ball. You will play at the end of the first quarter."
Jeremy Grant nodded, "No problem."
After briefing the two newcomers, Mike Malone suddenly said to Zeng Xingyang, "Zeng, you’ll play point guard tonight."
"Hmm?" Zeng Xingyang was a bit puzzled by this arrangement.
"Still focusing on defense, I want us to have defensive capabilities at every position. Leave organizing the offense to Nikola," Mike Malone explained.
"Alright, I understand," Zeng Xingyang nodded.
This way, the starting lineup is entirely different from the start of the season.
Tonight’s starting five become Zeng Xingyang, Harris, Pope, Jokic, and Nurkic.
Zeng Xingyang is a bit excited about the Nuggets’ completely new starting lineup tonight, curious to see if they can indeed stop their opponent’s offense.
The starters are strong, and the bench isn’t bad either.
Nelson, DJ Augustine, Gallinari, Faried, Lavine — these players were almost all starters for the Nuggets last season, and with the addition of new arrival Jeremy Grant, the roster depth is decent.