For game 2 of the “new season”, the Pelicans will take on the Detroit Pistons, who made a ton of noise  (in a relative sense) at the trade deadline. In a couple of moves, SVG and our old friend Jeff Bower added Tobias Harris, Marcus Thornton, and Donatas Motiejūnas. By the way, Thornton and Montejunas are still expected to sit out today.

These moves could have some implications for the Pelicans as the Pistons were expected to be a major player for Ryan Anderson’s services this summer. Of course, Tobias Harris seems to fill that need for the Pistons, but Ryno is expected to have a lot of suitors. The chase for Ryan Anderson is far from over.

But let’s focus on the immediate future. Personally, I think those deadline moves made the Pistons a little bit worse for now. Still, the Pistons are only a game and a half out of 8th place in the east so this isn’t an easy win (like all other games not including the Philadelphia Processes) for the Pelicans.

What to Watch for

• Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson – I just really like what SVG is building between these two guys. It might not be relevant for Pelicans fans, but hoops fans should enjoy it.
• BDJ – Well, Tyreke, Gordon, and Pondexter are out, but BDJ is expected to play, despite having an injured wrist. In a season of absolute bummers, BDJ’s story is a welcome change.

• Anthony Davis – I’m in the camp that AD could and should go supernova the last quarter of the season. He had a solid game against the 76’ers. I want to see that continue. I’m less focused on stats than I am on intensity and his interactions with coaches and teammates. Show me something good, Anthony.

• Jrue Holiday – I’ve been clear that I’m not a fan of Jrue coming off the bench. I understand the reasons for it, but I just don’t agree with them. At any rate, I don’t think this is a matchup where Jrue gains a lot from playing against their second unit. I could be wrong, and he could have a monster game. I won’t complain if that happens, but I wouldn’t bet my money on it.

• Ryan Anderson – The trade deadline came and went. It’s over. Ryan Anderson is here to stay for the rest of the season, and that may be it. Just enjoy him.

That’s it for now. I’ll be tweeting the game from the BSS account. After the final buzzer, I’ll be here with your recap. See you then.