Pelicans' Nikola Mirotic: Could see time at small forward

Head coach Alvin Gentry said he'd experiment with Mirotic at small forward during the preseason, Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com reports.

Gentry referenced a potential "big" lineup, which would feature Mirotic, Anthony Davis and Julius Randle all in the frontcourt at the same time. Considering the NBA seems to be transitioning to smaller lineups as a whole, it's uncertain when, or if, this lineup would be utilized in the regular season, but it's still something to keep in mind that could help Mirotic's value in the long run. Mirotic spent the bulk of last season at power forward, in addition to some minor work at center, so the option to play at small forward could help keep his minutes up despite Randle's addition this offseason. Mirotic averaged 27.2 minutes across 55 games last year.