New Orleans Pelicans players and coaches are in for quite a long day. It's so lengthy, in fact, that it began with a Tuesday morning shootaround in the Smoothie King Center, but won't technically conclude until Thursday morning in China.
The Pelicans (1-0) host the Indiana Pacers at 7 p.m. tonight in their second preseason game, then will depart immediately afterward for a 15-ish hour flight to Shanghai, with a brief layover in between. Due to the 13-hour time difference between Louisiana and China, that means that it will be Thursday when the team's plane finally arrives in Asia.
Terrence Jones, who has already gone on two overseas NBA trips when he was a member of the Houston Rockets, believes there are numerous benefits to going on the week-long excursions.
“(It's) camaraderie and a team-bonding experience,” the forward and first-year Pelican said after shootaround. “It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing to travel with this team there. There are going to be a lot of things that help us build and become the team we want to be throughout the entire season.
“For some people, it's their first time ever taking a flight this long. It's going to be a lot of time to spend with one another, on the plane and when we get there. I think it's going to build friendships, relationships and that togetherness we really need for those fourth-quarter fights and tough games when we really need to come together.”
Jones' former Kentucky teammate Anthony Davis has made two previous trips to China, giving him some experience dealing with the interminable flight time and jet lag.
“I've kind of gotten used to it,” Davis said of the trip. “It's good that we're leaving right after a game – because you get to sleep a little bit – but I'll wake up, watch some movies.”
Davis concurred with Jones that the team-building element of a China trip could be valuable later.
“You get to experience a different culture as a team and as an organization,” Davis said. “We get to see the Great Wall, and see different things. It's a good time for us to get closer and get to know each other.”
“Just experiencing a different culture, respecting it, honoring it,” Jones said when asked what he looks forward to most about the trip. “Just taking it all in and trying to learn as much as possible with my teammates. I think it's going to be a great experience for us, and we're all going to become better players and better people.”
