The New Orleans Pelicans have one of the been most impressive teams at the start of the 2023-24 season. Despite injuries to key guys like Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy III, Larry Nance Jr., and Jose Alvarado, numerous individuals have stepped up in their absence. The tremendous success has been led by Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum, but their ceiling will always be determined by their health.
The expectations for the Pelicans has been immense ever since Williamson's arrival, but they have not been able to flourish because of injuries. As it has been a pleasant sight for the New Orleans fanbase so far, they must also look forward to the NBA In-Season Tournament which starts Friday, November 10 for their organization. These are the four group phase games for the Pelicans in the inaugural competition:
- Nov. 10 – at Houston Rockets – 8 p.m. ET
- Nov. 14 – Dallas Mavericks – 8 p.m. ET
- Nov. 17 – Denver Nuggets – 8 p.m. ET
- Nov. 24 – at L.A. Clippers – 10:30 p.m. ET
With their stacked group, the Pelicans will have a tough time advancing to the quarterfinal round, but you never know in these kind of competitions. Thus, here are a few predictions on New Orleans for this new innovation.
Herb Jones flirts with a 5×5
A 5×5 stat-line is very rare in the NBA as Jusuf Nurkic was the last to do it back in 2019. Herb Jones was relatively close to achieving that milestone in their victory over the Detroit Pistons, so it is very plausible for him to attain that level sometime soon. Jones is one of the best young 3-and-D wings in the association, and he has exemplified that in the first several games of their campaign.
With Ingram missing a couple of contests and Murphy III still sidelined, Jones has been playing over 30 minutes each game and contributing on both ends of the floor. His defense is All-Defense caliber, but it is still his offensive repertoire that needs to be fortified. With the combination of his athleticism and versatility, notching five steals and five blocks on the same night is possible for Herbert Jones.
The Pelicans finish 2nd in their group but fail to advance
With the deep Western Conference and only one wildcard advancing per conference, it will be arduous for the Pelicans to reach the next phase of the tournament. A bold prediction for New Orleans is they will upset either the Denver Nuggets or the Los Angeles Clippers in the group stages, so they will finish with a 3-1 record.
Since they have a slew of youthful individuals, players like Zion Williamson and Herbert Jones will be amped up for these particular nights. Despite the early elimination in the NBA In-Season Tournament, it will be a terrific opportunity for their squad to develop chemistry, especially with the bunch of missed games by their nucleus.
CJ McCollum drops 45+ points
CJ McCollum is aging like fine wine as he has been arguably the most impressive player for the Pelicans this year. He has been the orchestrator of the offense, but he has been incredible as a three-level scorer for the team. In the latter juncture of the group stage, teams will want to improve their production, which should allow someone like McCollum to tally over 45 points in one of these matches.
McCollum's recent lung issue is concerning, but hopes are high he'll be able to return sooner rather than later.
The Pelicans guard can rack up points in a hurry, though, so it would not be too surprising if McCollum reaches that mark early in this season. If the Pelicans want to compete with the best in the West, CJ McCollum will need to one of the best #3 scorers in the conference or even a #2 on some nights.
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