Every season, an NBA team exceeds expectations on their way to a record that nobody predicted. The New Orleans Pelicans could be that team for 2016-17.
For the past couple of months or so, NBA fans have had the chance to take in all of the preseason predictions for 2016-17. Sure, predictions are fun and all, but at the end of the day, not many predictions play out the way they were originally forecasted.
Looking back at last season, not many could foreshadow the season that the Portland Trail Blazers put together. After losing four out of five starters during the summer, win-total predictions for Portland ranged from 18 to 34. The common number was 26.
Nobody predicted a 44-win season that included a first-round playoff series win, but that’s exactly what happened.
It seems like every NBA season, one team catches us off guard and enjoys much more success than previously projected. Last year, the Trail Blazers were the beneficiary. Who will it be for 2016-17?
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The New Orleans Pelicans.
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It’s a gutsy pick with the uncertainty of Anthony Davis‘ health, but if he can find a way to stay off of the inactive list, that in itself increases the chance of putting together a solid season.
Saying that they’ll be this year’s surprise team doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll rattle off for close to 50 wins. It simply means that they have the chance to be much better than expected. The Westgate Superbook in Las Vegas set an over/under win total of 36.5 for the Pelicans.
Again, I assume the number is so low because of Davis’ inability to stay healthy last season with a number of lingering injuries.
If Davis is able to play 66 to 70 games, 40 wins shouldn’t be out of the question. Another factor in the team’s success is when point guard Jrue Holiday will return. Holiday is caring for his pregnant wife, who recently underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor.
It has been reported that the surgery went well and that the tumor was successfully removed.
Lauren Holiday has successful surgery to remove benign tumor
— John Reid (@JohnReid64) October 21, 2016
Holiday plays a critical role because the Pelicans don’t have a credible back up that can efficiently fill Holiday’s shoes. Nothing has been reported as of yet, but with his wife’s surgery over and done with, he may make his return sooner rather than later.
One area position this team improved in is shooting guard by drafting Buddy Hield. With Hield’s long-range shooting ability, the duo of he and Davis should eventually start to show tremendous growth.
Although the four-year, $48 million contract that Solomon Hill got from the Pelicans made fans question everything, he could actually be a solid contributor this season. Through the six preseason games, Hill averaged 7.8 points and 2.5 assists per game.
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Lance Stephenson was another key addition made by the Pelicans.
Stephenson hasn’t been able to repeat the breakout season he had in Indiana in 2013-14 when he averaged 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, but he did show good signs at the end of last season after being traded to Memphis for the final 26 games.
The Pelicans are hoping his efforts can carry over into this season to provide energy and scoring at small forward.
There isn’t a lot you can take from last season’s results for the Pelicans considering Davis was always nursing an injury whether he was playing or not.
Like it was stated before, if he is able to play anywhere in the vicinity of 66 to 70 games this season, the Pelicans should realistically have a chance at winning 40 to 43 games.
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Last season, 43 wins would’ve been good enough to earn sixth place in the West. Will the conference as a whole be as chaotic as last? That remains to be seen. But calling the Pelicans a playoff team may not look as crazy as it seems once April rolls around.