10. New Orleans Pelicans
Over the second half of the season, the New Orleans Pelicans had emerged as one of the bigger surprises. They were trending in a way that suggested they were going to unseat the LA Clippers as the fourth seed in the Western Conference. However, that's when an unfortunate injury to Brandon Ingram took place. Even though Ingram is slated to return, hopefully before the start of the NBA Playoffs, there's no question that the injury hurt the team's momentum heading into the postseason.
The Pelicans are still on pace to enter the West playoffs as the fourth or fifth seed and if Ingram is able to make it back in time, this is a team that's going to have a real chance to win an NBA playoff series for the first time in six years. It would also mark a huge step forward for the team heading into the offseason.
Like many other teams ranked in the middle of the West standings, the Pelicans have much at stake when it comes to their future. How they perform in the playoffs is likely going to play a role in how they approach the offseason.