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NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Pelicans are rife with uncertainty as they prepare to open training camp this weekend.Anthony Davis and Co. believe they are poised to improve substantially over last seasons injury-riddled, 30-52 campaign, but a lot of variables have to work in their favor.Its unclear when several members of Davis supporting cast will return from various injuries -- or in guard Jrue Holidays case, a serious family matter requiring leave.Meanwhile, the club is eager to see how several key offseason acquisitions will fit in, as well as a few players added more for their potential upside than anything theyve achieved lately.Well have a different look. We lost some guys that weve had for a few years, general manager Dell Demps said Friday afternoon, referring primarily to guard Eric Gordon and forward Ryan Anderson. But I like the group that we have right now. I like the approach that we have. Weve got a lot of guys that made it the hard way, that had to grind their way to have success.The Pelicans top free-agent pickups included Solomon Hill from Indiana, guard ETwaun Moore from Chicago and point guard Langston Galloway from New York. They signed Terrence Jones, who won a national title with Davis at Kentucky, and Lance Stephenson to low-risk deals. They also drafted Oklahoma sharp-shooter Buddy Hield and Kansas forward Cheick Diallo.Some of those players will be relied upon heavily early on, in part because Holiday is on indefinite leave to tend to his wife Lauren, a former international soccer star who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor while pregnant. Meanwhile, it remains unclear when guard Tyreke Evans and small forward Quincy Pondexter will return from prolonged rehabilitation from knee injuries.Dell said all three could be back within the first two months of the season, but stressed that Holiday has been told to focus on his family and has no concrete timeline to return.Coach Alvin Gentry did not specify how the rotation at guard will work out in Holidays absence.That will kind of take care of itself, Gentry said. Well do a lot of switching lineups and putting guys in different positions. ... Youll see a lot of versatility in the way we play because we have those kinds of players.Evans and Pondexter both have had post-surgery complications, making it tougher to predict when their recovery will be complete.Evans said he developed a blood clot in his calf.I had to take a step back, but I kept working hard in my rehab, said Evans, who is also in the final year of his contract. I feel good, but doctors said, `Dont rush it.Evans said hes not aware of any concerns doctors have that clotting will recur.Pondexter said his leg still has to get a lot stronger, after two major surgeries.But when asked whether doubt has set in regarding whether hell return at all, Pondexter retorted, Hell, no.Davis said he is healthy after missing the end of last season with shoulder and knee injuries, then skipping the Rio Olympics. He said he wants these Pelicans to attack the season with a blue-collar mentality.We want to be kind of like Boston was last year, not having a lot of talent but guys play hard, Davis said. The guys that we brought in want to be a part of this and its always good to have guys who are on the same page.Added Demps, When we put this group together, we think it does complement Anthony and obviously everything starts with him.The additions of Jones and Stephenson appear to have considerable upside. Jones averaged better than 11 points in two of the previous three seasons, while Stephenson averaged 14.2 points in his final 25 games last season, after being traded to Memphis.Nothing was promised to those guys. Its going to be how they fit in, Demps said, adding that both players have attended Pelicans voluntary offseason workouts. They actually both looked good in the workouts and I think were hoping to get the best version of themselves.NFL Jerseys Sale . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. https://www.cheapnfljerseysjustwholesale.com/ . The deal is pending a physical, assistant general manager Bobby Evans said. Traded from Seattle to Baltimore on Aug. 30, Morse also can play first base and right field to give manager Bruce Bochy some flexibility in writing his lineup. Cheap NFL Jerseys . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Authentic NFL Jerseys .ca. Hey Kerry, big fan of yours, just finished reading your book. I think that we all saw the Canucks/Flames line brawl just after puck drop. It was obvious that something was about to happen, even to the referees because the fourth lines were on to start.In the second part of ESPNs top ten drivers of 2016, we name numbers 5-1. Read 10-6 here.5. Nico RosbergIn one sense Nico Rosbergs season was perfect. Given the circumstances that unfolded over the course of the year, he beat every other driver on the grid and took the championship. Yet its still hard to argue that he was the best driver out there -- especially when you look at the achievements of the other drivers on this list. That should not be confused with the somewhat tedious debate of whether he is a worthy champion, of that there is no doubt. But was he the most exciting, brilliant, jaw-dropping talent on the 2016 grid? The answer has to be no.Singapore was the crowning achievement of his season. On a track where Mercedes was on the backfoot, he outperformed everyone by a significant margin, including teammate Lewis Hamilton. But the staple of his championship success were the solid, no-thrills performances, such as the first four races of the year, Monza and Japan. At those rounds he did everything that was needed of him and nothing more -- and the same was true at the end of the season when he secured four consecutive second places to seal the title.It was a gritty year, built on sacrifices in his personal life and rewarded with his childhood dream of becoming world champion. But as impressive as that was, there were also days when he simply looked outclassed -- a wet Sunday in Monaco being the prime example. For that reason, the reigning world champion is only fifth on our list. LE4. Carlos SainzCarlos Sainz could so easily have become a footnote in the Max Verstappen story in 2016 but the Spaniards performances throughout the year were enough to warrant his place at number four on this list. Overlooked for the promotion to Red Bull, Sainz appeared to rise to the situation - with his consistently impressive performances made even greater when compared to the struggles of Daniil Kvyat alongside him.Sainzs first standout result, not coincidentally, came in Spain - the first race since Verstappens promotion - as he drove to sixth, a result he then repeated in Austin and Interlagos. He qualified brilliantly throughout the season in a car constricted by a 2015 engine - making Q3 nine times - and demonstrated a fiery side in battle with other drivers. His form was so good through the year that Renault came calling for his services in October, forcing Red Bull to offer a firm rebuttal. Sainz might appear to be stuck in limbo at Red Bulls junior team but another year like 2016 next season will make him well worth the money to prize him free of his contract. NS3. Lewis HamiltonOn his day Lewis Hamilton is undoubtedly the best driver on the grid. His ability to find an extra 0.2s in qualifying, pull a surprise overtaking move 150 metres before a corner or put in a succession of quick laps to win a race is unparalleled, but at times this year he appeared to be taking his talent for granted. Yes, he had reliability problems, but Hamilton had the pace and the ability to overcome them and he still fell five points short over 21 races. A quick glance back at his seasons results shows a series of opportunities where he could have easily made up that margin with a little more consistency.His biggest problems were his starts. In Australia, Bahrain, Italy and Japan, Hamilton lost multiple positions when the lights went out, and at all four races he dropped points to Rosberg. After spending additional time at the factory after Japan -- something Rosbergg had done earlier in the season -- Hamilton miraculously got on top of the issues and made consistent getaways at all of the final four races.ddddddddddddCould the issue have been solved earlier?Another missed opportunity came in Baku, where two uncharacteristic mistakes in qualifying saw him start from tenth on a track where he had dominated all three practice sessions earlier in the weekend. It was the one blip in a potential seven-race winning streak during the middle of the season and resulted in more dropped points.Regardless of his reliability woes, the opportunities were there for Hamilton to win the title this year. That in itself? is a huge testament to his immense skill level, but the fact he didnt secure it means he is not our Driver of the Year this season. LE2. Max VerstappenVerstappen announced himself to the big time in 2016 -- winning on his Red Bull debut in Spain and turning in a wet-weather drive for the ages in Brazil. The latter felt like a coming-of-age performance and seemed to confirm many of the lofty comparisons made about Verstappen since his arrival on the F1 scene at the end of 2014.The teenagers racecraft is sublime: his relentlessness in battle matched by his penchant for pulling off remarkable overtakes. His pass on Nico Rosberg at Silverstone stands out as one of his best from the year, and there were plenty more. But Verstappen is far from the finished article. His aggression courted controversy and led to a clampdown on his habit of moving in the braking zone. Qualifying was a weak point earlier in the year before an upturn in the latter rounds, one he will look to continue in 2017.Verstappen confirmed to the F1 world he is the real deal this year -- but he is not quite the finished article Red Bull wants him to be. That accolade goes to a man he shared a garage with for most of 2016.... NS1. Daniel RicciardoCrack open the champagne and take off your sweaty racing boot, because Daniel Ricciardo is ESPNs Driver of the Year 2016.A combination of consistency and pure pace made him the standout driver of this season, as well as the ability to hold an edge over Max Verstappen during their time as teammates (Ricciardo finished had an 11-point advantage over the Dutch teenager during their 17 races together). On seven occasions (equal to one third of the season) he finished ahead of at least one of the Mercedes, which is a hugely impressive achievement given the car advantage Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton held over him. Sure, he only won one race in Malaysia, but a quicker final pit stop in Monaco and a better strategy in Spain would have made that three -- not to mention a puncture that robbed him of an early lead at the Chinese Grand Prix.There were off days as well, but there was always a reason to explain his lack of pace. In Russia his car was damaged by an incident triggered by teammate Danill Kvyat; in Japan a fuel-flow metre inconsistency and a rubbing floor left him down on top speed; and in Brazil a fogging visor hampered his visibility in appalling conditions. They may sound like racing drivers excuses, but it was rare to see Ricciardo make a mistake this season and his inspiring moments far outweighed his mediocre ones. Add to that his upbeat personality and we cant think of a single driver who offered a more complete package in 2016.Now, where did I leave that shoe ...? LE ' ' '