28. New Orleans Pelicans
As the New Orleans Pelicans continue to be decimated by injuries, there's a more important priority for the team heading into the rest of the season that has nothing to do with wins and losses. And that has to be finding out how to proceed forward as a franchise. There are two trains of thought for the Pelicans and their decision-makers. First, the Pelicans could decide to keep their core intact and hope that next year this team will be given a full bill of health in an attempt to re-emerge as a potential dark horse contender in the Western Conference. In this route, it would also mean re-signing Brandon Ingram before he could leave in free agency.
On the other hand, the Pelicans could also elect to use this "lost" season as an opportunity to reset their timeline. On this path, the Pelicans would have to trade Ingram before the deadline and perhaps a few more pieces as they look to retool the roster around Zion Williamson and Dejounte Murray. What they will end up doing is anybody's guess and almost impossible to predict.
27. Portland Trail Blazers
It's been a predictably difficult season for the Portland Trail Blazers so far this year. Even though there have been a few more flashes of potential from their young core, this is still a team that very much has more questions than answers when it comes to how they're building forward. At the core of all their concerns is Scoot Henderson. The longer he takes to develop, the more the questions are going to linger.
In many ways, Henderson was a big part of the team's decision to ultimately part ways with Damian Lillard and pivot into a rebuild. At least thus far, Henderson hasn't proven the Blazers' decision to be right. However, Henderson is still young, and it would be unfair to consider him a bust at this point in his career. He's still growing into the player that he can be at the pro level. But more than anything, that's what the Blazers need to see most down the stretch this season, another jump in Henderson's development.