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The New Orleans Pelicans announced Monday that they are cutting small forward Chris Copeland.
Copeland, who played just three minutes in the preseason so far, didn't impress the team enough to earn a spot on the roster.
Last season he averaged 2.1 points, 0.5 assists and 0.4 rebounds per game as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. His biggest impact in the NBA came playing for the Indiana Pacers two years ago, where he managed to start 12 games.
At a modest career 36.5 percent from behind the arc, Copeland is at his best when he can use his scoring ability to provide spot shooting. However, the Pelicans have enough shooters on the roster.
The biggest challenge for Copeland was trying to win a spot on a team with plenty of depth at the same position that he plays, where those same players have already meshed with the team for at least a year.
Former teammate Lance Stephenson also showed up as a late invite vying for the same spot and willing to play small forward, which placed Copeland at a huge disadvantage.
Copeland will have to show more than just shooting prowess to remain in the NBA, but his shooting should land his a spot on some team in the league simply because you can never have too much shooting available with the kinds of defensive schemes teams run.
For the time being, Chris Copeland is without a team and will be looking to play a reserve spot somewhere not near New Orleans.
