New Orleans Pelicans Eric Gordon

New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon answers reporters' questions at media day Monday.

(Julia Kumari Drapkin, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

Flanked by a couple of team personnel, New Orleans Pelicans guard Eric Gordon walked into the brand new gym at the team's Metairie training facility on Monday sporting a freshly trimmed haircut and a smile that appeared to almost stretch ear to ear.

For the often injured and a much-maligned Gordon, whose loyalties to the organization have been questioned by the fan base, if not the team's management, this is a new day.

Gordon, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle in May after missing the first two months of last season while recovering from a right knee injury and being limited in his playing time upon his return, deemed himself healthy and ready to go for the start of the training camp of Tuesday.

"Yeah this is the first time that I have felt very good in about two years for sure since I have been here," Gordon said on Monday at the Pelicans' media day. "Since I have been here I have been injured here and there and had surgeries each year. So it's the first time that I have been pretty healthy since I have been here."

Since having ankle surgery at the end of last season, Gordon, who has played in just 51 games the past two seasons in New Orleans following his trade from the Los Angeles Clippers in 2011, has been rehabbing both his bothersome knee and his ankle.

Pelicans coach Monty Williams said Gordon was given full clearance last week. A healthy Gordon could give the Pelicans a formidable backcourt along with new additions Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Anthony Morrow and an emerging Austin Rivers.

"Eric certainly has the ability to be a guy who can play on both ends of the floor," Williams said. "We've really tried to be smart with him this summer. He just got clearance from his doctor in (Los Angeles) and our doctor, so he is going to be ready to get going here.

"He did a lot of conditioning with the team but didn't get total clearance until this past week. So that was good for us."

When asked if it was nice to no longer have to deal with questions about Gordon's health, general manager Dell Demps smiled and laughed.

"I'm just happy everyone is healthy," Demps said.

Although he is healthy, Gordon said he intends to be smart early on in camp as he continues to return to the form that had him tabbed as one of the league's top young shooting guards.

Gordon, a career 18.0 points per game scorer, said he has tested his knee and ankle during a rigorous rehabilitation process. He said he has completed all sorts of drills and exercises, with the exception playing five-on-five basketball.

"I've been with the team for about two weeks," Gordon said. "I did all the running and the basketball workouts. But now it's time for me to progress because I am going to have a slow buildup as this training camp (continues) because it's different from what I have been doing this summer to what we are going to be doing now."

For most of Gordon's two seasons in New Orleans, the perception was that he didn't want to be with the organization. It also didn't help that last offseason he signed an offer sheet with the Phoenix Suns.

But Gordon tried to clear some things up on Monday and said he has never been unhappy with the New Orleans franchise.

"The only frustrating part since I have been down here is dealing with the injuries," he said. "That's the main thing. I know what I can do, and this team knows what I can do. Now I am going to finally get a chance to make it consistent."

And now that the Pelicans have a new nickname, practice facility and a bevy of new and young talented players, Gordon finally seems happy.

"I've always been happy," he said. "It's just with me individually I've always been dealing with injuries and so fort. But when you have a lot of talented guys where you can have a chance to grow together -- because we are all young guys and we have a chance to grow together – anything can happen. And we have the talent to be a playoff team."

EVANS' ROLE: The plan, at least for now, is for Evans, whom the Pelicans obtained in a sign-and-trade deal with the Sacramento Kings this offseason, to come off the bench.

Williams said the coaching staff has talked to the 6-foot-6 Evans, who can play both guard positions and small forward, about serving in a reserve role.

"We talked to him about that this summer, and it wasn't an issue for him," Williams said. "I don't think guys worry about that anymore. I think they are more concerned with the minutes, if the minutes are still where they could be. I'd like to get him in the game for 28 to 30 minutes a game. That would be optimum for us. That would keep him fresh but also keep him on the floor.

"Now that changes because of circumstance. But I think guys are more concerned with minutes than they are with starting. And I think guys are concerned with finishing the game."

Evans said he doesn't have a preference.

Either way, Williams expects Evans, who signed a four-year, $44 million contract with the Pelicans, to play a major role.

"Depending on who's in the game with him, I think he can play some point, certainly he can play both wing spots," Williams said. "On most NBA teams the two and the three are the same. It's not like back in the day when the small forward spot was on an island by itself. Now those two spots pretty much mesh.

"But it (Evans' position) just depends on who we are playing. Tyreke has to be on the floor with shooters because it opens up the floor and he can do what he does best, which is attack the basket."

INJURY UPDATE: Pelicans forward/center Jason Smith, who underwent surgery last season to repair a torn labrum, said he has been cleared to return to full contact workouts.

Smith is expected to compete with free agent signee Greg Stiemsma and rookie Jeff Withey for minutes at center while also serving as a backup power forward.

"I'm ready to hit the ground running," Smith said. "The shoulder is doing well. I'm just following the protocol and making sure I listen to the trainers and not try to do too much."

Meanwhile, small forward Darius Miller is expected to be the only Pelicans player unavailable for training camp.

Miller suffered a stress fracture in his left foot this offseason that required surgery. When the team announced the injury on Sept. 9, it said Miller would need between eight to 12 weeks to recover.

At Monday's media day, Miller has a cast on his left foot. He said he expects the cast to be removed in a week and half before his begins to gain range of motion in his foot.

NEW PELICAN: The Pelicans added just one new player to their roster, small forward Lazar Hayward, who was a first-round pick (30th overall) of the Washington Wizard in 2010.

Hayward, 6 feet 6, 215 pounds, appeared in just four games last season for the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 2.5 points and one rebound. A former Marquette standout, Hayward has played in 72 career NBA games, averaging 2.9 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game.

Hayward said the Pelicans tried to sign him to their summer league team this past offseason, but now he is excited about the opportunity to play for the Pelicans.

"I just want to thank all of those guys for allowing me to come here," Hayward said. "This is a great, great organization and I think they are getting ready to show it. I'm I just happy I am a guy who they wanted to be a part of this team."