The Western Conference is nothing short of a slug-fest. The 4th seed LA Clippers and 9th seed LA Lakers are only five games apart with five games remaining, and the Pelicans are smack dab in the middle at the 7th seed.
Just a couple days ago the Pelicans were balancing cautiously on the playoff tightrope with the Play-In Tournament right below them. Now they have stumbled down into its dark crevices.
The Pels have some distasteful history in the Play-In stemming from the 2023 season. They lost a heartbreaking 123-118 to the OKC Thunder. Granted, Zion Williamson did not play in that game along with missing 53 more games that season.
However, this year could not be more of a contrast. In 2023, the Pels finished with 42 wins. This season they have 45 with five games remaining.
Williamson’s health and dedication to the game was also a big question mark heading into this season, but those doubts were slowly diminished. Zion has only missed 12 games so far and has been the clear leader in New Orleans.
He is averaging 22.8 points (leading the team), 5.8 rebounds (2nd on the team) and five assists (2nd on the team). He is also shooting at a crazy efficient clip of 58.1%.
Brandon Ingram has also been having a characteristically quiet yet productive season. He is averaging 20.9 points (2nd on the team), 5.1 rebounds (3rd on the team) and 5.8 assists (leading the team).
Herbert Jones, widely regarded as the best perimeter defender in the league, has gained tons of respect this year. He has improved in all areas of his game, most notably his shooting.
Last season he shot 33.5% on 2.5 three-point attempts a game. This season he took a massive leap in that category, shooting 42.2% on 3.5 three-point attempts. All while being a candidate for both Defensive Player of the Year and an All-Defense Team.
As a team, the Pelicans have been under the radar all season. Nobody has talked about them much outside of Jones’s break-out season and Willamson’s physical critiques.
They are middle-of-the-pack in most statistical categories but have been exceptional from three-point range shooting 37.8% (6th best).
The Pels have also been phenomenal on the defensive end. Pesky, lanky defenders like Jones have helped accumulate a league leading 8.3 steals per game.
They also have a defensive rating of 111.9 (5th best) and stout interior defense, allowing 46.4 points in the paint (4th best).
The Pels as a whole have been solid this season but since the All-Star break they just have not been able to find a groove. They are 12-10 since the break and have lost 4 straight, leading them right into the Play-In.
Their most recent 111-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs was the most glaring of the four-game skid. Ingram (knee) and Williamson (finger) were out but the Spurs were also without Devin Vassell (foot), Keldon Johnson (foot) and Jeremy Sochan (ankle).
It was a game that came down to the wire, and the Pels simply could not close out. They had four costly turnovers in the 4th quarter and shot 9-29 from behind the arc.
On the bright side, close games like that can prove to be beneficial as the postseason inches closer. And it is not going to get easier. The remaining slate of games will continue to test the Pelicans postseason readiness.
The Rockets losing their last four games has ruled out the Pelicans’ chances of falling out of the postseason as a whole. That is one less thing to worry about.
But four out of the five teams left on the Pelicans’ schedule are in the same predicament as them when it comes to Western conference seedings: playoff hungry and feigning for wins.
Those teams are the Phoenix Suns, LA Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.
It also puts into perspective just how stacked the Western Conference truly is. The Pels are in a foot race against teams led by Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Steph Curry. And these teams are not far from being legit.
If anything, they are getting better. The Warriors and Suns have won seven of their last 10 games, and the Lakers have won nine of their last 10.
Although they have struggled over the past 10 games, Pelicans fans are hopeful their team can turn it around as soon as possible.
The road only gets bumpier from here, and one can only hope the Pels can remember how to fly in time.