The New Orleans Pelicans can call the 2017-18 season a success, although they fell to the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
The New Orleans Pelicans are building something special. They fell to the Golden State Warriors 4-1 in the 2018 Western Conference semifinals, but they turned some heads with Anthony Davis leading the way.
The Pelicans made their first postseason in Year 3 under head coach Alvin Gentry. Gentry did it mostly without big man DeMarcus Cousins, too. Cousins was lost back on Jan. 26 due to an Achilles tear, but New Orleans powered through.
They finished the regular season with a 48-34 record and as the sixth seed in the the Western Conference. For his part, Cousins averaged 25.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks per contest in 48 games in 2017-18.
Anthony Davis was stellar himself, and the Pelicans used that to their advantage as well. Davis put up 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.3 assists per game during the regular season. In the postseason, he elevated his game even more. He averaged 30.1 points, 13.4 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, 2.0 steals and 1.7 assists per game against the Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers.
New Orleans made strides in the postseason, knocking off the third-seeded Blazers in a first round sweep despite missing one of its star players. The Pelicans avoided a sweep in the Western Conference semifinals but ultimately, their season came to an end with a loss in Game 5. Here’s a look at five takeaways from the 2017-18 season.