With the arrival of the 2024-25 NBA regular season, we've crossed a point of no return in the calendar. Rosters that feel unfinished, disorganized or otherwise odd can no longer be explained away. There's no more "unfinished business" now that the games have actually started.
Instead, those teams have to accept that they didn't execute the offseason plans they'd hoped to. Or, in the worst cases, they actually did put together these messes intentionally. Too many players at one position, too few at another.
Rookies and developmental projects fighting for minutes with veteran trade chips. Unresolved contract disputes. We've got all that and more as we scan the league or the early-season rosters that still make no sense.
Daniel Theis didn't do much during preseason play to indicate that he's the solution to the New Orleans Pelicans' problems at center. The veteran was expected to stand in for the departed Jonas Valančiūnas and Larry Nance Jr., but he scored only 17 points and blocked a single shot in 53 minutes of action.
Looking sluggish on switches and unable to defend the rim in conventional coverage, the 32-year-old Theis confirmed he's more of third big than a starter at this point of his career. Dreams of small-ball looks with Zion Williamson in the middle don't need to disappear. But they shouldn't be the Pelicans' default setting.
Those are better saved for late-game surges or "break glass in case of emergency" situations, as they don't have long-term legs. In additi.
