New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans are one step closer to the play-in tournament, having defeated the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday 112-110. 

Eric Bledsoe dropped 24 points to lead New Orleans, which moved to 31-37 on the season. The Pelicans are chasing the 32-35 San Antonio Spurs for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

For the Hornets, who are in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, Terry Rozier logged his first 30-point game since April 18, ending the night with 43 points. 

Notable Performers

• Eric Bledsoe, Pelicans: 24 PTS, 11 AST
• Jaxson Hayes, Pelicans: 18 PTS, 8 REB, 6 BLK   
• Terry Rozier, Hornets: 43 PTS, 5 REB
• LaMelo Ball, Hornets:  23 PTS, 5 AST, 4 REB

Pelicans Battle Back in Balanced Effort

The Pelicans lost their two strongest stars at the worst time, as Zion Williamson is out indefinitely with a finger fracture and Brandon Ingram has missed two straight games with an ankle injury. 

They held their own with the Eastern Conference-leading Philadelphia 76ers in both players' absences on Friday, falling by two. James Johnson and Naji Marshall got the start, though the bench players were what kept the Pelicans in it. 

On Sunday, a balanced effort led the Pelicans to victory even after the Hornets ran away in the second quarter. 

A high-energy New Orleans team ran away with a 10-point lead after a slow 5-5 open for both teams.

#Pelicans open game with 5 assists on 5 baskets. Going to need that kind of teamwork with revised starting group having four players shooting under 43% this season with New Orleans https://t.co/mZGfo15EHy

— Jim Eichenhofer (@Jim_Eichenhofer) May 9, 2021

 

The Hornets came charging back to get within nine after the first quarter, with an impressive 10 assists. The majority of those came from Eric Bledsoe, who ended the first 12 minutes with 13 points and five assists. 

Eric Bledsoe is feeling it in the 1st!!! 🔥@EBled2 already has double digit points through quarter #1.@PelicansNBA | #WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/k2mxKm4FBo

— Local Sports New Orleans (@BallySportsNO) May 9, 2021

 

Nickeil Alexander-Walker's Hail Mary at the buzzer punctuated a hot start for the Pelicans. 

Nickeil Alexander-Walker makes this wild fullcourt heave 😱 https://t.co/moZBs0S4JW

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 9, 2021

 

But it didn't hold, as the Hornets—and namely Terry Rozier—pulled together a major second quarter that resulted in a 20-point swing. Bledsoe was held scoreless in the frame, and Jaxson Hayes and Marshall added points to keep the Pelicans from falling out completely. 

.@ZO2_ with the assist as @hayes_jaxson fights his way in 💪 pic.twitter.com/BgBX8UKQit

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) May 9, 2021

 

The Pelicans ended the half with the advantage in field goal percentage, going 47.1 from the field compared to 43.9 from Charlotte, but they got beat from deep and from the line, where Charlotte was an impressive 10-of-10. 

They were also out-rebounded and gave up 14 points off of seven turnovers.      

They continued to hold that shooting advantage after the break, improving to more than 50 percent from the field while chipping away at the Hornets' lead. They cut it to two points before four minutes were gone, but still trailed by seven heading into the final frame. 

Bledsoe had logged 24 points by then, but he could have been worth even more for the trailing Pelicans. He was just five-of-10 from the line, a crucial number for a group that was down by a single-digit deficit. 

The Pelicans, who needed all the bodies they could get, were down another one early in the fourth when Wes Iwundu was ejected after picking up his second technical foul. 

After a 10-2 run to start the fourth, it was free throws that eventually gave the Pelicans the lead with 8:35 left to play, going up 99-98 on a Hayes make. But it didn't last thanks to another shot from Rozier, and the teams went back and forth nearly to the buzzer.  

Hayes gave the Hornets the lead at the end, capping a career night that saw him post six blocks and 18 points off the bench. 

Terry Rozier's Strong Second Leads Hornets

After both teams opened at 5-5, the Pelicans went on a 10-0 run early as the Hornets were ice cold shooting against a fast-moving New Orleans group. 

PJ Washington starts 0-of-6 from the field.

— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) May 9, 2021

 

But after the scare, PJ Washington finally made his first shot in nine attempts, and the Hornets got back within it. 

Terry Rozier, whose hot shooting night guided the Hornets past the Orlando Magic on Friday, led Charlotte starters with six points on three-of-five shooting, but it was Cody Zeller who impressed in five minutes off of the bench. He went three-of-four from the field with three makes from the line, with nine points to lead the team. 

While those players had enough production keep Charlotte in it, the team was a miserable 2-of-13 from deep.

They reevaluated heading into the second quarter, and after keeping pace, Rozier gave the team their first lead of the game with 5:39 left in the half with a three. It was fitting, as his huge second quarter was what put the team back in the fight. His quiet first quarter turned into 24 points by the half. 

Basketball 101: Follow your shot 💪 @T_Rozzay3 | @HornetsOnBally pic.twitter.com/mjFwyi3JMR

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) May 9, 2021

This whole game is Scary Terry time

— At The Hive (@At_The_Hive) May 9, 2021

That Scary Terry hesi on NBA TV! 😱 pic.twitter.com/yYfwTKvWCK

— NBA (@NBA) May 9, 2021

 

By the break, the Hornets managed to turn their 10-point deficit into a 10-point lead by way of a 42-point second quarter. 

The Pelicans picked up steam to start the third, but the Hornets maintained the lead even when LaMelo Ball checked out of the game and was attended to by trainers after hitting his wrist on the backboard after a block attempt. He returned, and the Hornets charged into the final frame with a seven-point advantage. 

LaMelo showing out 🍿 @brhoops https://t.co/LoJWcWc4kg

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 10, 2021

 

The lead evaporated as the Hornets failed to make a shot during the first six minutes of the fourth, and they went shot-for-shot briefly until the Pelicans pulled away.  

What's Next? 

The Pelicans will head to Memphis for the second leg of a back-to-back, tipping against the Grizzlies at 8 p.m. ET. 

Charlotte will host the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. 

New Orleans Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin has been fined $50,000 by the league for his criticism of officiating with regard to Zion Williamson.  

The following was released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/i5HHHY1Ty1

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 9, 2021

Griffin went on a tirade against referees during a press conference Friday, shortly after the team revealed the star is sidelined indefinitely with a fractured left ring finger. 

"He's injured because of the open season that there's been on Zion Williamson in the paint," Griffin said. "He has been absolutely mauled in the paint on a regular basis to the point where other players have said to him, 'I'm going to keep doing this to you' because they don't call it.

"I almost feel like they didn't know how to deal with someone so sudden and so strong. So they sort of threw their hands up in the air."

Williamson appeared to suffer an injury during the team's Tuesday game against the Golden State Warriors, and while he left the court briefly, he returned to finish the game. The severity of the injury was not revealed until the team departed for Philadelphia, when he said he was still dealing with discomfort and a CT scan was performed.

Griffin said he believed the injury didn't stem from a single incident; rather, it was "a blunt-force injury" that developed over time. 

"There's more violence encouraged in the paint against Zion Williamson than any other player I've seen since Shaq," Griffin said (6:35 mark). "It was egregious and horrific then, and the same is true now."

During his press conference, Griffin revealed Williamson had been dealing with an injury to his other hand "that quite frankly, nobody else would have played through" and should have prompted surgery.

Prior to the finger injury, Williamson had scored 75 percent of his points in the paint, a figure that ranked 16th among NBA starters who had played at least 30 games this season, per NBA Advanced Stats. 

The injury was a major blow to a Pelicans lineup that was already reeling from the absence of Brandon Ingram while fighting to stay alive in the race for the play-in tournament. At the time of the announcement, the Pelicans were 30-37 and 2.5 games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is out with a fractured ring finger, an injury that executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said "was avoidable." 

In response, Griffin said the team is sending video to the league showing how often Williamson has been hit under the rim, according to ESPN's Andrew Lopez.

"He's injured now because of the open season there's been on him in the paint," Griffin told reporters. "He has been absolutely mauled in the paint on a regular basis."

https://twitter.com/OlehKosel/status/1390776153011539975

Griffin: "We failed. We did not protect (Zion)."

— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) May 7, 2021

Williamson suffered the injury during the team's win over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. Though he was able to return to action that night, the team announced Friday he's out indefinitely.

The 20-year-old is averaging 27 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists through 61 games this season. 

The severity of the injury on his left ring finger was discovered during a CT scan on Thursday, the team announced. Griffin said Williamson told the team about the injury prior to their departure for Philadelphia, where they tip off against the 76ers at 7 p.m. ET on Friday.

Griff: "He's injured because of the open season that there’s been on Zion Williamson in the paint. He has been absolutely mauled in the paint on a regular basis to the point where other players have said to him, ‘I’m going to keep doing this to you’ because they don’t call it.”

— Christian Clark (@cclark_13) May 7, 2021

"There's more violence encouraged in the paint against Zion Williamson than any other player I've seen since Shaq," Griffin said (6:35 mark). "It was egregious and horrific then, and the same is true now." 

Williamson has scored 75 percent of his points in the paint, a figure that ranks 16th among NBA starters who have played at least 30 games this season, per NBA Advanced Stats. 

Griffin also said that Williamson has been playing through an injury on his other hand "that quite frankly, nobody else would have played through" and could have required surgery. 

"What reward he got for that was injuring the other hand in a way that didn't need to happen at all," Griffin said. 

The Pelicans, who are also playing without Brandon Ingram, entered Friday at 30-36, 1.5 games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the final Western Conference play-in spot. 

New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram suffered a left low ankle sprain and is considered day-to-day, the team announced Wednesday.

He will not play against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

Brandon Ingram Injury Update: pic.twitter.com/GdU8hWHKmW

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) May 5, 2021

Ingram, 23, has amassed 23.8 points on 46.6 percent shooting, 4.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season.

He posted 23.8 points on 46.3 percent shooting, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists in a breakout 2019-20 campaign for the Pels following three years with the Los Angeles Lakers. Ingram proved to be a franchise building block, to the point where the Pels signed him to a five-year, $158 million extension in November 2020.

Ingram has ultimately bounced back from serious adversity earlier in his career. Groin, neck and ankle ailments took him off the court during his Lakers tenure, and he had a significant health scare in 2019 after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his arm, prematurely ending his 2018-19 season.

The former Duke star has missed time for various reasons over the last two years, notably sitting five games beginning April 1 with a sore right foot. But he's a big reason the Pels have a bright future as the team looks to build around him and Zion Williamson.

Speaking of which, the Pels should rely more on Williamson in Ingram's absence. The sophomore big man has posted 27.0 points on 61.1 percent shooting per game. Point guard Lonzo Ball could also see an uptick in usage.

As far as court time, James Johnson is the top candidate to fill Ingram's role in the starting lineup. He's averaged 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds with the Pels after New Orleans acquired him via trade with the Dallas Mavericks on March 25.

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson praised teammate Lonzo Ball after Ball's 33-point outing in a 108-103 win over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

Ball's outburst came after shooting 3-of-18 from the floor as New Orleans lost to Golden State on Monday. According to ESPN's Andrew Lopez, the veteran guard told Williamson he'd be better and duly delivered.

"I'm glad he's my teammate," Williamson said of Ball. "You love to have teammates like that can say stuff like that and come the next day and show out. He just wants to win. That's what I love about Lonzo. He just wants to win. And he'll do whatever it takes to win."

The Pelicans face a big question in the offseason with Ball as he approaches restricted free agency. Because of his contract status, the 23-year-old was the subject of trade rumors but remained in New Orleans through the March 25 deadline.

Ball is having the best year of his career. He's averaging 14.6 points, 5.8 assists and 4.7 rebounds and shooting 41.6 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Perhaps more importantly, the playmaking guard has forged a strong connection with Williamson. According to NBA.com, Williamson's offensive rating is 115.1 with Ball on the court compared to 111.1 when Ball is on the bench.

Lonzo ➡️ Zion for the dunk on the previous play

Zion ➡️ Lonzo for the three right after! pic.twitter.com/8tUTeGHOGM

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) March 8, 2020

Restricted free agency can be tricky because it only takes one massive offer on the table to force the team into making a difficult decision. Ball probably won't command a max contract from an outside suitor because he's not yet one of the NBA's elite point guards.

In the outside chance that does happen, the front office may have reservations about committing long term. New Orleans doesn't want to hamstring itself too much financially, thus limiting how it can surround Williamson.

In general, though, Ball has shown through his performance why he deserves to remain a part of the Pelicans' core moving forward.

Adidas reportedly made nine payments worth a total of $5,474 to Zion Williamson's family between 2016-17, according to a report from Steve Wiseman of The News & Observer.

Court findings from a civil lawsuit between former college player Brian Bowen and the shoe and apparel company included a letter from attorney William Taft that detailed “potential transfers from (Adidas executive) Chris Rivers that may have been to Lee Anderson, Zion Williamson’s step-father.”

Per that report, Bowen’s attorneys requested interrogatories for Adidas' lawyers to answer, which included questions about Williamson's dealings with the company. Taft responded that Adidas “is aware of the following documents suggesting that certain fund transfers to Mr. Williamson or his family may have occurred.”

Taft noted that "“Rivers may have transferred $3,000 per month to the Williamson family for an unspecified period of time” and “Rivers may have transferred $1,000 to the Williamson family," though he added that “Adidas does not know the specific purpose of these transfers."

In the past, Williamson's former marketing agent Gina Ford accused him of receiving benefits to attend Duke that would have voided his NCAA eligibility for the 2018-19 season, per Wiseman, while attorney Michael Avenatti flat out accused Nike of paying Williamson to attend Duke. 

“The documents and the hard evidence do not lie,” Avenatti said in Sept. 2019. “Zion Williamson was paid to attend Duke.”

Avenatti, however, was convicted for attempting to extort the school to the tune of $25 million and could be sentenced for up to 40 years in prison. To date, no evidence of the payments he claimed were made to Williamson's family by Nike have been presented. 

The Golden State Warriors are going to see a lot of the New Orleans Pelicans down the stretch and wasted no time setting the tone Monday.

Golden State defeated New Orleans 123-108 at the Smoothie King Center in the first of three matchups between the teams in a 12-day span. Stephen Curry led the way for the victors, who improved to 33-32 on the season with their second straight win and moved four games ahead of the Pelicans in the race for the Western Conference play-in tournament. 

A solid showing from Zion Williamson was not enough for New Orleans as it fell to 29-36 and saw its own two-game winning streak come to an end.

Zion could only laugh after this Steph three 😅

(via @NBCSWarriors)pic.twitter.com/BhXIEi6061

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 4, 2021

Notable Player Stats

• Stephen Curry, G, GS: 41 PTS, 8 AST, 4 REB, 8-of-18 3PT
• Draymond Green, F, GS: 10 PTS, 15 AST, 13 REB, 3 STL, 2 BLK
• Andrew Wiggins, F, GS: 26 PTS, 4 REB, 2 BLK
• Zion Williamson, F, NO: 32 PTS, 8 REB, 2 BLK
• Brandon Ingram, F, NO: 19 PTS, 4 AST, 2 REB

Steph Continues to Torch the League

ESPN's broadcast of Monday's game had a superhero focus, which was fitting given the individual heroics of Curry, who has kept the Warriors in the Western Conference playoff picture.

All he did in April was set the NBA record for the most three-pointers in a month with 93 while averaging 37.3 points a night. It has reached the point that head coach Steve Kerr told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne that Curry is starting to remind him of Michael Jordan because the greatness "just becomes routine."

It was more of the same right out of the gates, as Curry nearly outscored the Pelicans by himself in the first quarter (21-17) and unleashed an array of step-back threes and crossovers as he glided through defenders and scored with his split-second release.

Steph made Bledsoe touch earth 😬

(via @NBCSWarriors)pic.twitter.com/M3Qc7BEyHm

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 4, 2021

Steph over Zion 🔥

17 points in the first quarter for Curry

(via @NBCSWarriors)pic.twitter.com/Qn3RW6BdVf

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 4, 2021

DR🔨Y pic.twitter.com/ToNFMivRfN

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 4, 2021

Steph ran a marathon on this possession 💥

📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/QWbHJaQTZp

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 4, 2021

Got some space
& got it to fall ☔️

📺 @NBCSAuthentic pic.twitter.com/T5fx8GoRZC

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 4, 2021

Golden State extended its lead to as many as 25 points in the first half with him leading the way, but it wasn't a one-man show. Draymond Green dished out assists as a point-forward, Juan Toscano-Anderson provided a spark off the bench and Andrew Wiggins took advantage of openings in the lane when the Pelicans collapsed on Curry.

Yet it all came back to No. 30, who seemingly had an answer for every Pelicans' run.

He continued to drain deep threes in the second half to keep the home team at bay, dished out assists when needed and sent Eric Bledsoe to the ground with a particularly impressive crossover. Cameras even caught Williamson laughing when Curry hit another triple from well beyond the arc.

His presence alone makes the game so much easier for teammates like Wiggins to rack up the points, and the Pelicans simply had no answer.

Zion Impresses but Pelicans Defense Struggles

The pressure was on a Pelicans team that is in now-or-never mode for this season with four of its final eight games against play-in tournament contenders in the Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies.

If Williamson is going to make the playoffs in his second season, it will require an impressive sprint to the finish line. He started off on the right foot with 37 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in New Orleans' first game in May in a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves and had the opportunity to build on it against the Warriors.

So much for that.

"Nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast." - Drax and also @Zionwilliamson pic.twitter.com/XHOrkcjo0W

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) May 4, 2021

Zion throws it down as Captain America @AnthonyMackie looks on pic.twitter.com/3h3U644O48

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) May 4, 2021

Zion making plays in the paint.

He can do this all day 💪 pic.twitter.com/19GXUic5y3

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) May 4, 2021

Rather than coming out with urgency, the Pelicans appeared to sleepwalk their way through the start as they fell behind by 25 points in the first half. To their credit, they battled back some with Williamson overpowering defenders on the block and Brandon Ingram providing secondary scoring, but the defense was too much of an issue.

New Orleans' efforts on that end undercut every comeback attempt even when it climbed to within single digits in the second half.

The silver lining for the Pelicans was the fact that Zion was unstoppable for extended stretches. The pressure of a late-season game with playoff implications didn't get to the 20-year-old, who figures to eventually play the Pelicans into the playoffs at some point in the near future even though it likely won't be this season.

What's Next? 

The two teams meet again Tuesday in New Orleans at 8 p.m. ET.

It would have been easy for Zion Williamson to vent his frustrations following Wednesday's 114-112 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

After all, the New Orleans Pelicans star went up for what would have been the game-tying shot in the final seconds only to be blocked by Nikola Jokic. It appeared to be a foul, but the officials swallowed their whistles.

Ummmm ... pic.twitter.com/yDPT7L4SNa

— Local Sports New Orleans (@BallySportsNO) April 29, 2021

Instead, he said he still had to "earn my respect" to get calls like that in crunch time.

"I've got to earn my respect," he told reporters. "I'm only in year two. I've got to get a couple more years under my belt and hopefully things change with that."

While the Duke product may still be working on earning that respect, getting to the line has not been much of an issue. In fact, he is second in the league in total free throws this season with 491 and is behind only Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Zion gets a TON of calls. He didn’t get a pretty obvious end-of-game call tonight. But that does not mean he doesn’t get calls.

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) April 29, 2021

There is something to be said about how difficult certain players are to officiate in the NBA because of their physicality. Williamson is someone who can simply overpower many opponents, which leaves smaller players clawing for any advantage and often fouling him even when the infractions go uncalled.

Players such as Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and others have dealt with similar situations throughout their careers, and Williamson is surely experiencing that as he becomes accustomed to the league.

To hear him say it, though, he will start getting more of those whistles as he garners more respect down the line.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball has improved offensively in his fourth season, but his defense might have suffered as he approaches restricted free agency in the offseason.

"He's just not an impactful defender [right now]," a scout told Sam Amick and John Hollinger of The Athletic.

The advanced stats tell a similar story. Ball's 1.2 defensive win shares represent the lowest mark in his career, per Basketball Reference. His defensive box plus/minus has also dropped each year and is 0.0.

That hasn't helped a squad that ranks 27th in the NBA in defensive rating.

Despite the decreased production on that end, Amick and Hollinger argued Ball has "length, athleticism and potential on that end" that will help him in free agency.

He is averaging a career-high 14.1 points per game, and his 42.2 percent shooting from the field and 38.1 three-point percentage are also personal bests.

Ball excelled early in his career with the Los Angeles Lakers for his ability to help the team in a lot of ways even when his shot wasn't falling. He had 13 double-doubles and two triple-doubles as a rookie in 2017-18 despite averaging just 10.2 points per game.

His improved shooting appears to have come at the expense of other attributes, but the 2017 No. 2 pick can be a difference-maker if he puts it all together.

If New Orleans lets him leave in free agency—a possibility considering how much it owes Brandon Ingram, Steven Adams and Eric Bledsoe next season—Ball can get a fresh start with a new squad. Amick listed the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks as potential landing spots for the 23-year-old.

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson said his little brother, Noah, provided an assist to create one of the colorways for his first signature sneaker with the Jordan Brand, the Zion 1.

Williamson explained during an appearance Tuesday on CBS' The Late Late Show with James Corden he took a trip with his brother to visit Nike's Michael Jordan Building while deciding which company to sign an endorsement contract with, and the rest is history.

"They gave him a bunch of crayons. Now, Noah's five, so I don't know what they thought they were gonna get out of him right then and there," he said with a laugh. "So all he did with every color was drew some scribbles on it, and a couple months later they came and showed me a shoe with a bunch of colorful scribbles on it, and I said, 'Oh, that's dope.'"

Williamson joked that Noah, who's now seven, wasn't really excited about the design, saying, "It's supposed to happen. I'm supposed to have my own shoe."

He said one of the other colorways is a tribute to his mom, Sharonda Sampson, for helping him get out of a "tough environment" en route to a successful basketball career.

Meanwhile, Williamson also discussed his first meeting with Jordan, which came at a Jordan Brand party with hundreds of guests, which limited their interaction time.

"Man, seeing him was like seeing Black Jesus; it was crazy being in the same room as him," the 2021 NBA All-Star told Corden. "You know, he just told me, 'Keep working. Be yourself, and that's going to take you a long way.' But in my mind, I'm looking at my mom like, 'I just met Mike!'"

Williamson and the Pelicans (27-34) are back in action Wednesday night when they visit Ball Arena to take on the Denver Nuggets as they attempt to hunt down the final playoff berth in the Western Conference.

New Orleans trails the Golden State Warriors (31-31) by 3.5 games for the 10th seed in the West, but three of its final 11 regular-season games are against the Dubs, so there's still time to make a charge.

Williamson, the first overall pick in the 2019 draft, is averaging 26.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 61.8 percent from the field across 56 appearances during his second NBA season.