With a soft schedule to close the regular season, the New Orleans Pelicans’ playoff hopes are very much a real thing at this point
Before the Zion Williamson injury and before the regular season even started, the hype around the young New Orleans Pelicans was unlike we’d ever seen. While plenty of that had to do with Zion Williamson, one of the most hyped rookies since LeBron James entered the league, the Pelicans’ roster was loaded with talent.
However, in part to a myriad of factors, including the Zion injury which would keep him out for the first half of the season, the Pelicans predictably weren’t able to live out those preseason expectations.
Heading into the team’s final 24 games of the regular season, though, there’s a small glimmer of playoff hope. Thanks in large part to a soft closing schedule, and the recent play of the team, the Pelicans have a decent shot to make a run towards the playoffs in the Western Conference.
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Since Zion’s return to the lineup, the Pelicans are 8-6. While that might not make a huge difference in the standings, the Pelicans were 17-27 and sitting in the 12th slot in the Western Conference.
New Orleans is currently 25-33, 10th in the West standings and just three games back of the Memphis Grizzlies for the 8th and final seed in the playoffs. Led by Zion, the Pelicans are playing arguably their best ball of the season.
Zion is leading the way, averaging 23 points, seven rebounds and has a 25 Player Efficiency Rating through his 14 games played thus far this season. Since Zion’s return to the lineup, in the team’s last 14 games, the Pelicans have a top 10 offense and defense and the 8th best net rating (4.9) in the NBA.
If that’s not impressive enough, consider that the Pelicans had the 18th best offense, 26th best defense, and 24th best net rating in the 44 games that Zion was not in the lineup for New Orleans. To say that Zion has had a huge impact on the Pelicans would an understatement.
Zion has completely changed the way the Pelicans play and has positively changed the course of the season for this team, and in just 14 games.
Another bit of good news for the Pelicans’ playoff hopes is the fact that New Orleans has the second-easiest remaining left according to Tankathon. Something else to keep in mind is that the Grizzlies, who are currently three games ahead of New Orleans, have the league’s most difficult remaining schedule.
If the Pelicans continue playing at this current pace with Zion, it’s safe to assume that the team will have at least a decent shot at making the playoffs. The Portland Trail Blazers, who are currently tied with the Pelicans in the West standings, have the league’s third-easiest remaining schedule.
With just over 20 games remaining in the regular season, the New Orleans Pelicans’ playoff hopes are very real. And the way the schedule opens up over the course of the final month, it’d be tough to bet against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans. With the way the team has performed in his 14 games played, they could very well find a way to the playoffs – the place that many expected them to be prior to the start of the season.