The New Orleans Pelicans are firmly entrenched in the Western Conference playoffs.
The team’s four-game winning streak against mid-major Eastern Conference teams isn’t that impressive on paper, but they have established themselves as contenders during that stretch. Indiana, Toronto, Philadelphia and Atlanta are by no means the toughest challenge in the NBA, but coming out and dominating inferior opponents is the sure sign of a championship-level team. That’s exactly what New Orleans did.
The Pelicans have moved into the top five in net rating this season (fourth overall) and over their last ten games, the Pelicans are the second-best team in the Association, behind the heavyweight Boston Celtics.
The resurgence of Trey Murphy, the immeasurable growth of Herb Jones and the steady play of the starting lineup give the Pelicans a top six that can work with any team in the league.
Even though the team has all the potential in the world to make a deep run into May/June, there is a scenario staring the Pelicans in the face that should terrify New Orleans.
As things stand, New Orleans sits in fifth place in the Western Conference. Ahead of them, in order, are the Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves and Clippers. Six games separate the top five in the West, and the fight for position has only just begun.
Of the aforementioned teams, New Orleans has the busiest schedule. The Phoenix Suns are a game and a half behind the Pelicans, ready to trade places and move New Orleans back to sixth place. In this likely scenario, New Orleans would potentially face an opponent that would likely eliminate them before their playoff run even has a chance to begin.
The Denver Nuggets are the best team in the Western Conference. Nikola Jokic is the best basketball player in the world and his players are still playing at a high level. The Nuggets are currently seeded number two, but Minnesota is right on their heels, with only a game behind.
In the scenario where the Pelicans move to the sixth seed and the Nuggets move to the third seed, New Orleans is in big trouble. In his last ten games against the Pelicans, Nikola Jokic is averaging a 30-point triple double (which I’m ready to name Luka Donicic after the last few weeks). The Pelicans don’t have an answer for Jokic, leading to struggles for the Pels against the Nuggets.
In their last 11 meetings, the Pelicans are 4-7 against the Nuggets. Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon are all nightmares that New Orleans has difficulty dealing with. Pelicans fans should pray day in and day out until the end of April that this potential matchup doesn’t come to fruition in the first round.
This potential matchup is why a four-game winning streak against the dregs of the Eastern Conference is so important. As Denver continues to win and climb the Western Conference standings, New Orleans must do the same in order to delay a game against the defending champions as long as possible.
The Thunder, Timberwolves, and Clippers all present their own set of problems, but none of them compare to the struggles Denver would bring to the Big Easy. The schedule is busy. but Pels wins against bad teams are a prerequisite for the team’s success come playoff time.
