The New Orleans Pelicans are not being shy about their intentions down the stretch. General Manager Trajan Langdon said during Media Day that the playoffs were the goal but this locker room cared how they earn a postseason spot. After two years of suffering through the NBA Play-In Tournament, this team is now aiming for a 50-win season and a top-six seed in the NBA's Western Conference playoff bracket.
The Pelicans have flaws, sure. Every team has weaknesses and the NBA Playoffs race is as wide open as ever. Still, Larry Nance Jr. put the league on alert early this season, insisting there was a first-place caliber team in the locker room. CJ McCollum is strongly clarifying situations to ESPN reporters, shutting down Zion Williamson speculation before it starts. But the NBA All-Star break is over and it's back to business now.
Third-year head coach Willie Green liked the sound of a 50-win season.
“I like that number,” Green agreed when asked. “If we can get there, that would be good.”
A week of rest before a first-round series sounded even better to CJ McCollum.
“You want to be able to rest during that time,” McCollum said after Wednesday's practice. “We haven’t been able to do that these last two years. (Also) when you play in the play-in, you’ve got to go right into the playoffs with no rest. I think that makes it a little more difficult and challenging (to be successful). And obviously, you can lose too, and your season is over. For us, it’s about taking advantage of these 27 games we’ve got left, winning as many as we can, and trying to control our own destiny, in terms of not having to worry about that at all.”
The Pelicans have a chance at finishing 2023-24 NBA season with 50 wins
New Orleans must go 17-10 over the final 27 games to finish 50-32, which would represent the second-best record in team history. The Pelicans have 14 home games and six road games against likely lottery teams. Getting to 50 wins is going to be a challenge, but it is a necessary step for a team looking to earn some respect.
The jockeying for postseason position is shaping up to come down to the final day. The Pelicans finish the season at home against the Los Angeles Lakers, who are in ninth place coming out of the NBA All-Star break. Four road games against the Phoenix Suns (5th), Portland Trail Blazers (14th), Sacramento Kings (8th), and Golden State Warriors (10th) come before the regular season finale.
“(No play-in games are) definitely one of our goals, to take another step,” explained Green. “That step for us is to not be in the play-in. We can control our own destiny by piling up as many wins as we can…It’s competitive, especially in the Western Conference. Teams have gotten better. The play-in has made teams more competitive. It’s going to come down to the last couple of games, the way it has the last couple of seasons.”
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