Guard Kira Lewis Jr.’s role with the New Orleans Pelicans for the 2023-24 season appears uncertain as the NBA team prepares for its Oct. 25 opener. But after a knee injury affected his past two seasons, Lewis will take being able to compete for playing time with healthy legs.

“Just being able to play and do whatever I wanted, it was a whole bunch of relief, for sure,” Lewis said of his offseason preparations for his fourth NBA campaign. “… Last summer, you go out on the court, you can’t even shoot a jump shot. That’s kind of deflating because you’ve been playing basketball your whole life. Just being able to go out this summer and just play, play, play, know what I can get better at, know where I’m already good, know where I can get my shots from in his offense, it was a good feeling.”

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In the Pelicans’ preseason opener on Tuesday night, Lewis had nine points, two rebounds, one assist and two steals in 23:25 of court time in a 122-105 loss to the Orlando Magic.

A two-time first-team All-State player at Hazel Green High School, Lewis averaged 15.9 points, 4.0 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 65 games during two seasons at Alabama.

Lewis will be back in his home state for New Orleans’ second preseason game. The Pelicans will play the Houston Rockets at 7 p.m. CDT Thursday at Legacy Arena in Birmingham.

“We’re excited to see these guys play, to see Kira get on the floor,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said shortly before the preseason opener, “especially after he had the injury, recovered from the injury, had some games last season. I think this is where you make a huge jump after having the injury that he had. He’s had a great camp.”

The 13th player picked in the 2020 NBA Draft, Lewis averaged 6.2 points and 2.2 assists in 16.0 minutes in 78 games with the Pelicans before his injury on Dec. 8, 2021. Lewis sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a grade-2 medial collateral ligament sprain in his right knee while taking a jump shot in the second quarter of New Orleans’ 120-114 loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Lewis didn’t play again for the Pelicans until Dec. 13, 2022, and he appeared in 25 of New Orleans’ remaining 56 games during the 2022-23 season.

Green sustained a similar injury during his third NBA season and returned to play nine more years.

“It takes almost a year to recover from it,” Green said on Tuesday. “Then you play on it for a season. And so your body’s still figuring out strength and power and lateral movement and all those things, and then that second season is where you feel really comfortable and confident in what you can do, so I’m seeing that from Kira already, and I’m excited to go out and see him play tonight.”

The Pelicans return the players who were in front of Lewis in the backcourt last season — CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram or former Alabama teammate Herb Jones (depending on how New Orleans chooses to line up) as the starters with Jose Alvarado and Dyson Daniels next off the bench. The Pelicans added Connecticut guard Jordan Hawkins with the 14th choice in the NBA Draft on June 22, too.

“I’m just going in to compete,” Lewis said. “Going in playing basketball, something I do my whole life. I’m healthy this year, so I’m just looking forward to it. I’m ready to compete, though, for sure.”

Lewis’ chances to shine might be enhanced as the Pelicans seek to accelerate their offense.

“We’re going to play fast offensively,” Green said. “It’s no secret. I’ve said it last year, my first season here. We want to put teams on their heels. We want to get out and run. We want to attack the basket. We want to get to the free-throw line. We can be better in being confident in taking catch-and-shoot 3′s and making them and making them at a high percentage.”

Lewis said the offseason adjustments to the Pelicans’ plan of attack suit him well.

“It’s a lot of pace, a lot of running, lot of 3′s, drive-and-kicks, getting to the basket, different terminology, cutting,” Lewis said. “It’s a whole new offense, but I’m pretty sure by the time we start in the regular season we’ll be getting it down. …

“This is just like Alabama. Very comfortable. I’m pretty sure I know most of the gist – get in the paint, find the open man, get to the basket. All the stuff we did at Alabama is pretty much what we’re doing here, so I’m pretty comfortable with it.”

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.