The New Orleans Pelicans are entering the home stretch of the regular season.
With only 20 games remaining before Friday’s away game against the Philadelphia 76ers, there is still a lot at stake for the Pelicans.
Here’s a look at five things the Pelicans can pursue — ranked from most likely to least likely — as they head toward the finish line of what could be a banner season.
– Place in the playoffs
Ok, let’s start with the obvious. Nothing the Pelicans did in compiling their 37-25 record will mean anything if the Pelicans don’t make the playoffs. In each of the last two seasons, the Pelicans have made the playoffs via the play-in tournament route. They advanced through the play-in tournament and reached the first round of the playoffs two seasons ago. Last season, they made the play-in tournament before being eliminated in the first game with a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. This season, the Pelicans would like nothing more than to bypass the play-in tournament and earn one of the top six seeds in the Western Conference. The Pels are currently fifth in the West and seem to be rising at the right time. They’ve won 11 of their last 15 games and have a good chance of continuing that momentum if they can take care of business Friday against an injury-riddled 76ers team. Barring an epic collapse, a playoff spot seems almost certain.
– Division title
Yes, I know division titles are rarely talked about in the NBA. Hell, I’d go so far as to say that most fans can’t even tell you what division the Pelicans are in (it’s the Southwest) and most might not be able to name the other teams in the division (Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets). , Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs). Well, the Pelicans sit in first place in the division, 2.5 games ahead of the second-place Mavs. The Pelicans were called the Hornets the one and only time they won the division. You have to go back to the 2007-2008 season to know the last time the franchise won a division crown. This is a team that surely wouldn’t hesitate to hang some sort of banner in the rafters.
– Winning road record
Good teams take care of business on the road. The Pelicans are 19-13 away from the Smoothie King Center this season. They only need two more road games to clinch a winning mark on the road, something they’ve only done three other times in franchise history (2008, 2009 and 2018). The remaining road games will be against the 76ers, Magic, Hawks, Magic, Pistons, Suns, Trail Blazers, Kings and Warriors. Two more road wins are achievable and could come in the next two games.
– A season of 50 victories
This one is quite ambitious. The Pels should go 13-7 the rest of the game. The schedule is not favorable for this, especially since 13 of the remaining games will be against teams with a winning record and teams that have a strong playoff presence. The Pels have only reached the 50-win mark once in franchise history, going 56-26 in the 2007-08 season. They are currently on pace for 48 wins, which would tie the 2017-18 team for third for most wins in team history.
– The 4th seed
The Pelicans have made the playoffs 8 times. Only once did they have home field advantage in the first round. That was in 2008, when they were a 2 seed and beat the No. 7 seed Mavericks in the first round. Outside of this series, the Pels have been the fifth seed twice, the sixth seed once, the seventh seed twice, and the eighth seed twice. They are currently 3.5 games behind the fourth-place Clippers, who travel to the Smoothie King Center on March 15. The Pelicans have won two of the first three meetings against the Clippers. But will they be able to catch up over the next month?
The next 20 games will answer that and more.
