The New Orleans Pelicans are preparing for a play-in tournament showdown with the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night but honestly, this team wasn't supposed to be here. They were poor for most of the season until the trade deadline when the Pels acquired CJ McCollum. Although his early brilliance didn't translate into success with a 1-4 record after the blockbuster, there was evidently one moment that changed everything for the Pelicans.

Hint: It included a bunch of junk food, some good wine, and just Mccollum, Willie Green, and Brandon Ingram.

Via Andrew Lopez of ESPN:

This, they say, was the turning point of the Pelicans' season, a trio gathered around a table of oysters, french fries, doughnuts, sorbet and the wrong wine.

“I think it set the stage, the tone, for the rest of the season, kind of allowed us to connect on a different level,” McCollum told ESPN. “It kind of allowed us to all be on the same page to kind of express what we want and feel we can accomplish together, how we're going to do it.”

Since the All-Star break, the Pelicans have gone 13-10 which helped them lock down the No. 9 seed in the West. McCollum has been a breath of fresh air with his new team as well, averaging 24.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds on a 40% clip from downtown. As a primary ball-handler now, he's truly thriving.

CJ also made it clear to Ingram that he wanted to communicate on every single level to make sure they're always on the same page, which meant a lot to him:

“It was impactful for me hearing him say everything he said,” Ingram said. “Everything that he said that he'd been through, that he'd gone through in the league. His perspective of the game, him saying I could communicate to him however I needed to. It was helpful for me.”

Let's see if this star duo can potentially take the Pelicans into the first round of the playoffs. Nevertheless, the future is bright for the franchise, with CJ McCollum leading the way with his talent and leadership. Add Zion Williamson back into the mix next season and they become even better.