A week later, Tang Tian returned to New Orleans after wrapping up his trip to Nigeria.
A few days later, the Pelicans' training camp opened at New Orleans Arena.
On the first day of camp, all fourteen players on the team showed up.
The Pelicans were overwhelmingly strong heading into the new season, practically aiming for a dynasty, and everyone on the team had excitement written all over their faces.
The newly added role players in particular were thrilled at what felt like getting a ready-made bargain.
But even with such formidable paper strength, the Pelicans' coaching staff remained extremely demanding.
Great strength also meant great pressure. With a roster like theirs, they would probably get ripped apart even after a single loss.
With the internet so developed in modern society, trolls did not care about excuses. If they did not like what they saw, they would attack you.
After all, aside from wasting their keyboards, they would suffer no losses whatsoever.
So Stevens' demands remained the strictest, even stricter than last season's.
After one practice session, aside from the Pelicans' original players and Butler, all the other newcomers were groaning in misery.
But it also made them realize something.
Nothing happened by accident. The Pelicans had defeated the Four-star Warriors and the Cavaliers in succession with that kind of roster last season to defend their title, and it had absolutely not been luck. It had been pure strength.
And after practice, the Pelicans' coaching staff received an unexpected surprise.
That surprise was not Dedmon.
They had already known in advance that Dedmon had developed a three-point shot.
The one who surprised them was Siakam.
Beyond his already solid defense, this second-year player had made enormous progress over last season in Holding the Ball Breakthrough, passing, and even three-point shooting!