NBA Notes: Pelicans, Bennedict Mathurin, Nuggets, DeMar DeRozan, Pacers

Pelicans

Bennedict Mathurin sounds pretty happy to be somewhere he feels wanted.

Mathurin joined the Pelicans on a two-year, $16 million contract after finishing last season with the Clippers, and he made his feelings fairly clear when discussing his new home.

“It’s great to be where a team really wants me,” Mathurin told Fox 8 New Orleans’ Madeline Adams. “You know what I’m saying? It goes both ways. We have great teammates, we have a great coaching staff, a great front office, a great owner.”

Whether that was intended as a message to anyone in Los Angeles or elsewhere is for others to decide.

What matters to New Orleans is that Mathurin arrives motivated after averaging 17.4 points and 5.5 rebounds in 28 games for the Clippers. His contract also includes a player option for next season, giving the 24-year-old another incentive to make this marriage work.

Nuggets

DeMar DeRozan is headed to the bench. Apparently, everyone involved is just fine with it.

Nuggets coach David Adelman confirmed that Denver intends to retain last season’s starting five of Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic. That leaves the six-time All-Star DeRozan as the rather accomplished leader of the second unit.

Adelman isn’t entirely sure what the rotation around DeRozan will look like just yet.

“I think, for me, I’ve got to figure it out through feel in the preseason,” Adelman said. “Who am I taking out and why?”

There is also the matter of DeRozan being 37.

“DeMar, he’s an older guy,” Adelman said. “I’ve got to make sure I take care of him too.”

In other words, the Nuggets know DeRozan’s role. Exactly how they use him remains a work in progress.

Pacers

Meanwhile, Kelly Oubre Jr. needed only a few practices to discover that life with the Pacers moves quickly. That’s sort of the idea.

“Every day is a learning process,” Oubre said. “It’s gonna be like that all year. But one thing I’ve learned is that I love this style of play.”

Oubre specifically praised Indiana’s quick-decision offense and unselfishness, saying he enjoys playing within the Pacers’ “0.5” system.

Center Jay Huff likes what he’s seeing, too, particularly from the reserves.

“We play fast,” Huff said. “That’s something the Pacers pride themselves on.”

Huff singled out Oubre as a strong addition, although coach Rick Carlisle wasn’t ready to hand out any October trophies after three practices.

“We got quite a ways to go in a lot of areas,” Carlisle said.