The New Orleans Pelicans will start off their 2023-24 regular season schedule with a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 25.
The Pelicans went 2-2 against the Grizzlies during the 2022-23 regular season. Both victories, one in November and one in April, were won in the Smoothie King Center. Three Pelicans scored 30 points or more during the squad's 138-131 overtime win over Memphis in April. Forward Herb Jones led New Orleans with 35 points as he hit 11 of his 21 shot attempts. Guard CJ McCollum added 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 44 minutes of play.
The Pelicans went 1-3 in their 2023 NBA preseason schedule. They split their games against the Orlando Magic while falling to the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks. New Orleans capped off its preseason run with a 104-92 win over Orlando. Forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram combined for 34 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in the victory at the Amway Center. Center Trey Jemison added 10 points and nine rebounds in 16 minutes played off the bench.
What are some bold predictions for the Pelicans' 2023-24 campaign?
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CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram will earn All-Star selections
McCollum averaged 20.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game during the 75 games he played and started in for the Pelicans during the 2022-23 regular season. Ingram added 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game in 45 games played and started. The duo combined for 44 points and 11 assists during the Pelicans five-point loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament. McCollum discussed his goals going into the 2023-24 season in a Friday interview with ClutchPoints Associate Editor Joey Mistretta.
“I think my goals are to be just as consistent as possible,” McCollum told ClutchPoints, via Mistretta. “Stay healthy. Be a good leader, work on the small things and just impact winning. Historically I've impacted winning and I want to continue to do that and help lead my team to the playoffs.”
McCollum and Ingram will both be important parts of a New Orleans squad looking for its first playoff spot since Willie Green's first season as the Pelicans' head coach. If the duo can show they can be an essential part of an improved New Orleans team, they may be able to earn All-Star selections for the first and second time in their careers, respectively.
Dyson Daniels will have a breakout season
Daniels, a former first-round selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, earned averages of 3.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in his first season in the NBA. The Pelicans exercised the third-year option for the 20-year-old guard on Thursday. He recorded 14 points, eight rebounds and nine assists in a 126-108 win over the Toronto Raptors last November.
“In terms of progression, we know Dyson is solid defensively,” Green said, via Kyle T. Mosley of Pelicans Scoop. “Now it's about creating an offensive identity and being a solid basketball player. For us, we know he can do it. He's been good starting with summer league, but even in camp, he's been pretty solid for us.”
The Pelicans will make the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22 season
The Pelicans ended the 2022-23 season with a record of 42-40, putting them in second place in the Southwest Division and ninth place in the Western Conference. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves would take the seven and eighth spots in the 2023 NBA playoffs.
The Pelicans drafted guard Jordan Hawkins with the 14th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. The former UConn guard averaged 12.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game during the five games he played in the 2023 NBA Summer League. New Orleans agreed to a one-year, $3.1 million contract with center Cody Zeller in July. Zeller, the former No. 4 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, played in 15 games and started in two for the Miami Heat during the 2022-23 NBA season. The Pelicans will have to rely on their newer and returning faces alike to earn a spot in the postseason for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
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