LAS VEGAS – It’s easy to dismiss a player’s statistics in Las Vegas based on the level of competition, but as New Orleans Pelicans summer head coach Jamelle McMillan pointed out after Friday’s opener, the bulk of Cheick Diallo’s 27-point, 10-rebound effort occurred vs. bona fide NBA players. Diallo was often matched up with Toronto second-year pros Jakob Poeltl (a lottery pick who logged 626 minutes in 2016-17) and Pascal Siakam (a second-round draftee who started 38 regular season games).
“Twenty-seven and 10, that’s pretty good for playing against matchups that are roster guys on the opposite (team),” McMillan said.