The New Orleans Pelicans are trying to upgrade their reserve big men and their defensive prowess by adding 6'8" Dante Cunningham to their lineup.
He'll wear No. 44, and fans can expect to see him serve as a defensive workhorse off the bench alongside sharp-shooter Ryan Anderson. Cunningham is a ball of energy with a blue-collar work ethic that the Pelicans hope will strengthen their reserve unit. He can easily swing between both the small forward and power forward positions.
"He's a tough, gritty player," said Davis Wesley, the team analyst for FOX Sports New Orleans. "He plays hard. It's an over-used term, but that's exactly what he does. He's going to bring a grit and toughness to this team that is welcomed and needed."
The 230-pound Cunningham has played for Minnesota, Memphis, Charlotte and Portland. The five-year-veteran, the 33rd overall pick out of Villanova in 2009, also adds some maturity to a young group. At 27 years old, Cunningham will be one of the older members of this squad, along with 28-year-old Omer Asik and 34-year-old John Salmons.
"He definitely brings know-how," Wesley said. "He's been around the league. He'll pick up on the system quickly. I expect them to throw him right in the fire. He's got basketball IQ. There are basic plays every team runs, which he knows. The chemistry and scheme will come with time. If he responds well, play him more. If he doesn't, pull him back and adjust."
Cunningham is here to shoulder the defensive load, as he's not much of a producer offensively, holding career averages of 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds.
That's fine with New Orleans. In the 2nd unit, Anderson is a scoring machine. Fans may very well see Anderson play an offensive three role and Cunningham a defensive three.
Cunningham is also insurance in case he's ever needed in the starting lineup due to injury. The Pelicans are emphasizing getting the ball in star power forward Anthony Davis' hands more often. What the decision-makers in New Orleans don't want to see is a disproportionate defensive workload fall on Davis' shoulders, where his body is beat up too badly for a run at the end of the season.
"Dante has been an extremely durable player over the last two seasons," said Sean Kelley, the team's radio play-by-play announcer for the past 10 years. "I love the fact that he can guard multiple positions and adds much needed depth on the wing. I think the Pelicans also get a highly motivated player looking for a fresh start after a trying offseason."
Rumors of this move have been circulating, but the Pelicans needed to do more homework that usual on Cunningham, given a previous arrest on domestic abuse changes in Minnesota last April. In August, the charges against Cunningham was dropped, after evidence surfaced that his then-girlfriend fabricated the alleged incidents.
Cunningham participated in the team's Tuesday shoot-around in San Francisco and will be available for the Pelicans' game at Golden State.
New Orleans' roster stands at 14, with the addition of Cunningham and the exits of Darius Miller and Patrick Young.
The Pelicans are expected to soon announce rookie Russ Smith's departure to the D League, as well as another possible roster addition.
