“New Orleans is playing catch-up in the Western Conference”

The New Orleans Pelicans are one win away from avoiding the play-in tournament altogether in what will be a strong 2023-24 NBA regular season for the trio of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum.

Despite their convincing success this season League insider Mark Medina suggests that the Pelicans are still in the process of catching up to their rivals, arguing that what we saw from them this season is what we should have had two seasons earlier.

Win and they're in

Can avoid the play-in tournament with a win over the Lakers on Sunday

Despite a knee injury that plagued All-Star Brandon Ingram late in March and caused him to miss New Orleans' final 13 games, the Pelicans' squad went 7-6 in his absence.

But their hopes of reaching the playoffs without having to qualify through the play-in tournament have since been boosted by the announcement that their star forward is expected to play in their all-or-nothing showdown against the Los Angeles Lakers in Their regular season finale will return.

With the Pelicans remaining mostly healthy all season and franchise star Zion Williamson setting a career-high (69 and above) in his entire NBA career this season, the Pelicans are a team that is ranked high in people's minds is on the radar, and some even assume they are. Regardless of where they stand in the standings, they are serious contenders in the Western Conference.

A big factor in why they've gotten so much traction lately is their strong supporting cast of Williamson, Ingram and veteran CJ McCollum.

Players like Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III have kept New Orleans on an upward trajectory all season, despite the adversity they faced as a result of Ingram's knee injury and other issues that may have impacted on-court chemistry have had an impact and continuity.

The Pelicans have posted top-five efficiency in three-point shooting percentage (38.2 percent) and ranked in the top eight in the NBA in total field goals converted (48.6 percent).

Not only was their shooting performance commendable, but their team effort on defense was also one of the most outstanding in the league, where they ranked sixth overall in the association with a defensive rating of 111.8.

Pelicans show a “much better version of themselves”

After offering glimpses of their potential as a team a few seasons ago, Medina argues that despite their compelling campaign, the Pelicans arrived too late to show what they were capable of on the hardwood, and what we expect from them This season is what they should have shown us last year.

However, the journalist admits that New Orleans' health was a major factor in their previous deficits, and now that they appear to have largely overcome them, they are seeing more consistent results in the form of victories.

Health is wealth

Williamson is expected to reach the 70-game mark, while Ingram has made 63 appearances

As previously mentioned, the Pelicans' leading talisman Williamson had the healthiest season of his career, where he is expected to reach the 70-game mark by the end of the regular season.

His availability on the court has, in turn, allowed the 23-year-old to finally showcase the skills that earned him so much hype during his college days with the Duke Blue Devils, before becoming the absolute No. 1 overall pick was drafted in 2019 and was crucial to his team's success this season.

Despite averaging 23.0 points, his lowest points output since his rookie year (22.5) – although still a team-high – and a career-low 5.8 rebounds, the 6-foot-2 power forward is having more success achieved when distributing the ball. He posted a career-high 5.0 assists per game, which led to 13.6 points per night.

Similarly, Ingram is having a career year with 63 games for New Orleans, narrowly surpassing his 62-game season with the Pelicans in his first year with the ballclub in 2019-20.

While he also saw a decline in his scoring output, averaging 20.9 points on a 49.0 percent shooting rate, he achieved a team-high 5.8 assists per contest, a career high, resulting in 15.0 per contest Points were scored game and was consistently productive off the glass, amassing 5.1 boards.

As a duo, Williamson and Ingram have been a dominant force this season, outscoring their opponents by 3.2 points per 100 possessions when they shared the court. Their head coach Willie Green projected them as one of the top duos in the NBA of that era.

Now that the majority of the roster is healthy, the Pelicans appear all but primed to head into the playoffs and seek their first NBA title in franchise history, although given all the talent, particularly in the Western Conference, a powerful one needs effort.

With their star firepower combined with their extensive roster rotation, the Pelicans have all the tangible attributes of a championship-capped team, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see New Orleans pull off a surprise run and reach the NBA Finals. But you can It's easy to imagine what could have been if this leap in development had happened two seasons ago when they were still scratching the surface – although it's better late than never.

All stats courtesy of Statmuse, ESPN, NBA.com and Basketball Reference.

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