He Tianju, a member of the Chinese Basketball Association’s Liaoning Flying Leopards, has been invited by the New Orleans Pelicans to participate in the team’s training camp, as first reported by Justin Verrier.

When Tianju last played competitively in the United States, during the 2015 Summer League, he averaged three points and one rebound per game. However, he did face a serious challenge as he was unable to speak English – a problem that he solved by having a translator accompany him to practices and games.

He Tianju
Turner Sports

Tianju, pictured above, stands six-foot-nine and weighs 202 pounds. In China, He mainly played the power forward position but has shown the ability to play as a small five or even potentially as a defensive small forward.

Tianju could offer some depth to a Pelicans roster that has been basically carried by Anthony Davis since he was drafted. Furthermore, with Davis having been injured multiple times over the past few years, Tianju could see an increase in playing time as the season progresses, granted that he makes the cut.

Although he will not be a starter soon, he is still a youthful player and could see his stock rise as his experience in the NBA increases. But, first things first, Tianju has to set his target on making it from training camp and onto the final New Orleans Pelicans team.

While Tianju is not going to be a superstar in the league, he does show that Chinese players, like recent Hall of Fame inductee Yao Ming, still have a real shot at the NBA.