The New Orleans Pelicans, fresh off their week-long stay in Australia, are still readjusting to the time difference.
Rookie guard Jeremiah Fears has been waking up at 4 in the morning and staring at the ceiling.
Zion Williamson, meanwhile, wakes up around 2 or 3 a.m. before falling back asleep three hours later.
But the sleepless nights now are well worth it for what the team got out of getting to build chemistry almost 9,000 miles away in Melbourne.
The Pelicans held practice Thursday for the first time since their return late Monday night.
“It was really good bonding time for our whole group,” said Pelicans' coach Willie Green. “I learned that they are all competitors in a basketball sense. They step on the floor and they want to compete. They play hard and they play for each other. Off the floor, I saw some connectivity with our group growing together.”
The Pelicans went 2-0 in their exhibition games overseas, beating Melbourne United and then South East Melbourne Phoenix. Both opponents compete in the National Basketball League, Australia’s professional league. The Pelicans were the first team NBA team to ever play in Australia.
They got a chance to see koala bears and kangaroos, but the main purpose of this trip was basketball. This was a chance for the team to get better. Green likes what he saw.
“We had some guys who had some really good performances,” Green said. “Saddiq (Bey) was really good. I thought Zion set the tone with his energy on both ends of the floor. Defensively, collectively as a group we were active in getting steals, deflections, blocking shots, rebounding the ball. All areas that we want to do really well in this season. It was fun seeing our group being connected on the floor offensively sharing the basketball, playing fast.”
Jose Alvarado and Herb Jones, both who dealt with injuries in Australia, went through a full practice on Thursday.
"That was encouraging," Green said. "We'll see how they respond after practice."
While the Pelicans enjoyed the two victories, they were just as satisfied with how the fans there treated them.
“It was love,” Williamson said. “It’s always a privilege to see how far the game of basketball can take you. The Pels’ fan base out there was huge. It was love. I can’t say it surprised me. I didn’t know what to expect. An NBA team is down there, people are going to throw on NBA jerseys. But these people were Pels’ fans all the way, through and through.”
Now the Pelicans get to return to their fans back home. The Pelicans host their “Back to Basketball” event Friday at 6 p.m. The open practice at the Smoothie King Center is free to the public and will give fans a chance to see this year’s team.
“It's going to be great,” Fears said. “Showing everybody what we’re capable of. Going out there competing. Roughing each other up a little bit, but at the same time continuing to keep learning and executing our sets and continuing to build our chemistry.”
The Pelicans wrap up their preseason schedule next week. They will play the Houston Rockets Tuesday in Birmingham, Ala. Then they conclude the preseason Thursday at the Orlando Magic.
“Collectively as a unit, the camaraderie is there,” Williamson said. “The chemistry is there. I look forward to how the season is going to go.”