The rise of Corey Webster. Photo / Twitter
Tall Blacks star Corey Webster has made another step towards his goal of a guaranteed NBA roster spot, making his NBA preseason debut for the New Orleans Pelicans this afternoon.
Webster looked like he belonged in his eight minutes and 23 seconds of court time against the Indiana Pacers, although
it wasn't a version of the shooting guard many would have recognised.
Asked to play the majority of his minutes at point guard, Webster was entrusted with running the Pelicans offence, and did a solid job, with three assists, including one to Anthony Davis for a dunk.
In order to man the point, Webster kept his scoring game in check, only shooting once - missing a long step-back two. Although not showcasing the elements of his game which impressed many for the New Zealand Breakers and Tall Blacks, Webster filled a role asked of him by coach Alvin Gentry with competence.
Guarding the Pacers point guards, Webster again did creditably. Although he got lost in a mass of rotations to leave an open three-point shot, he was physical against penetrating guards, most notably when he forced Joe Young into a travelling call after an excellent job denying Young the space to get to the rim.
