ATLANTA – A busy offseason filled with major acquisitions – three first-round picks, three trade pickups from the Lakers, the additions of veterans such as JJ Redick and Derrick Favors – has concluded. Now it’s time to put it all together on the hardwood.
New Orleans opens its five-game preseason schedule Monday at State Farm Arena, intent on gelling and trying to become a cohesive group as soon as possible. In the interest of being ready for formidable competition later this month, as Jrue Holiday put it after Monday's shootaround, “We kind of feel like we have a short amount of time to get good, especially in the West.