The New Orleans Pelicans had all the momentum going into the NBA All-Star break. The squad was 7-1 with a road-heavy schedule and now get to restart the season with three straight home games. They have the 11th toughest remaining schedule but have proven resilient if nothing else over the past few years under third-year head coach Willie Green. That resilience leads to some Pelicans bold predictions.
CJ McCollum clapping back at Kendrick Perkins will be a thing of the past if the Pelicans keep up this pace. Green, Zion Williamson, and Herb Jones will also finally get their deserved recognition. At least, that's the prediction of this reporter.
Green is a long-shot candidate for NBA Coach of the Year, sure. The Detroit Mercy alum is tied for the 10th-best odds to take home the award, via DraftKings Sportsbook. If the Pelicans can catch the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Clippers for a top-four spot in the Western Conference, Green will at least get enough votes to be mentioned during the awards ceremonies. That will be enough to also be considered for a nice raise on the next contract.
With that being said, here are our Pelicans bold predictions for the second half of the season.
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Willie Green gets Pelicans to 50 wins by going 17-10
The reasoning? New Orleans has 14 home games. There are road dates against the Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trail Blazers. The Pelicans also visit the Philadelphia 76ers, who'll be without Joel Embiid.
They get the struggling to stay alive now Golden State Warriors in the second to last game of the season. Steph Curry might not have the gas left to lift Golden State that long.
Williamson may not have the most eye-catching stats, but one does stand out. The franchise cornerstone has played 44 games. He needs 21 more to be eligible for All-NBA honors. There are already a few All-World talents that will fall short of the 65 games played threshold.
There are 11 games remaining against teams currently occupying lottery spots. There will be chances to improve upon 22.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Green just has to let Williamson ramp up to 36 minutes per game, instead of the current 30.8. The two-time All-Star needs to be ready for long runs in the NBA Playoffs.
Zion Williamson averages over 34 minutes, named All-NBA Third Team
There are 29 players currently averaging more than 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Williamson is dead last in minutes played per game, by over 3 minutes. Get to 25 points per game, and the shortlist is down to 13 players.
Herb Jones named NBA First-Team All-Defense
Every single Pelicans player and even a few opponents have said that one easy-to-understand, no-notes-need phrase. Herb Jones, NBA First-Team All-Defense.
The Not on Herb fan club has had enough of the disrespect. If not, the conspiracy theorist claiming there is a script will have a piece of evidence. New Orleans may stage a Not on Herb riot if the Alabama alum does not have some hardware to put on the mantle in a few months.
The Alabama product is sitting on 60 steals and 42 blocks. NBA Players with more steals and blocks: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Caruso, and Scottie Barnes. Jones is also outside of the top 20 in deflections.
Anthony Davis and Paolo Banchero are among those who contest more three-pointers. The numbers suggest Jones is more of an All-Defense Third-Team candidate this season.
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