Pelicans' Alexis Ajinca: Comes off bench in opener

Ajinca came off the bench and put up zero points (0-2 FG) and one rebound over 11 minutes in Wednesday's 107-102 loss to the Nuggets.

Analysis:

Though he was in contention for starting duties at center in the preseason, coach Alvin Gentry ultimately opted to go with incumbent Omer Asik in the opener. The two big men ended up seeing roughly similar minutes, but even if Ajinca is eventually able to supplant Asik for starting duties, his upside remains limited. Coach Alvin Gentry often prefers to use Anthony Davis as a floor-stretching center for extended stretches of games, which will typically cap Asik and Ajinca at around 20 minutes.