New Orleans Pelicans: Favourable schedule gives team playoff aspirations

The New Orleans Pelicans’ schedule in Orlando is a welcoming one. There are games there that this side should be winning and that’s what they’ll need to do.

With just over three weeks to go until the NBA regular season makes its long-awaited return, there is plenty to be decided over the eight-game schedule that every team that’s going to Orlando is going to be playing. For some, it’s going to be a case of trying to make jumps to higher seedings, for others, it’s going to be a scrap down the stretch just trying to make the dance. For the New Orleans Pelicans, this time in Florida will be very exciting.

After standout seasons from players like All-Star Brandon Ingram and the return of rookie phenom Zion Williamson – who was tremendous after finally getting going – this journey of trying to make the playoffs is going to be good no matter what. If they do it, then that’s a bonus and it’ll really show how far this young core has already come. If they don’t, then it’s not a big deal – we’ll still get to see more of this full group and see what Zion can do on the big stage with everyone’s eyes on him.

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Going into this quick-fire ending to the regular season, the Pelicans will need to get hot from the off if they are going to have any legitimate chance of sneaking into that eighth spot. They currently sit 10th in the Western Conference, 3.5 games back of the Memphis Grizzlies, level with the Portland Trail Blazers and Kings, and 0.5 games in front of the San Antonio Spurs. Now, from seven up, it’s basically a done deal. The eighth spot is up for grabs and it’s going to be an intriguing race for it.

But, the Pelicans are in good condition, with no injury problems at the moment and no signs of anyone missing out yet due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Another thing that looks positive for them is their schedule. Apart from their first two games in Orlando, which are against the Utah  Jazz and the LA Clippers, the other six games are extremely winnable games. No one is to say that the Pels can’t get a win facing Kawhi Leonard and Paul George or Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, but it isn’t what this team would be expected to do, no matter what the circumstances.

What the Pelicans do have is Zion, coming off a 19-game stretch which saw him average 23.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, and looking extremely ready to go. Last week, pictures surfaced of him getting ready for the return of basketball, after reportedly losing 25 pounds of fat and gaining 10 pounds of muscle.

This does not look like someone I’d expect any player in the NBA would enjoy matching up against. After being perhaps the most exciting prospect in basketball history out of high school and college, Zion proved to everyone why this was the case every night he played during those 19 games, and he just looks like he’s going to become better and better, and that starts on July 30 against Utah.

He and the Pelicans have eight games to really give this season and the start of a new era in New Orleans a narrative. Having to play the Spurs once and the Kings twice, gives them a very realistic path to the playoffs, and if it all goes their way a Zion vs. LeBron James playoff matchup could very well be the reward and a huge stepping stone to get in the right mindset for next season when they’ll want to kick on and become more of a contending playoff team with much bigger aspirations.