Pelicans' Pondexter won't be available until November

The New Orleans Pelicans hobbled into the offseason, and to hear their coach tell it, they'll be hobbling out of it.

After announcing Thursday that starting point guard Jrue Holiday will be playing under a strict, 15-minute limit until January, Alvin Gentry added that small forward Quincy Pondexter - who underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair cartilage damage in his left knee at the end of last season - will not be available until November, meaning he'll miss all of training camp and preseason, and at least the first week of the regular season.

Pondexter came over from the Memphis Grizzlies in a midseason trade last year and proceeded to play the best ball of his career. He averaged nine points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 27.8 minutes (all career highs) across 45 games, while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and a scorching 43.3 percent from 3-point range.

While Ryan Anderson would seem to be a logical choice to soak up Pondexter's minutes at the small forward while he recovers, Gentry said he doesn't see Anderson as a 3 and that Dante Cunningham will likely fill in. Cunningham spent part of the offseason working to integrate a corner 3-point shot into his game.

Gentry also said that center Omer Asik will participate in training camp - which begins next week - despite dealing with back spasms earlier this summer.