It the end of the trade deadline, most fans didn't have high expectations for the New Orleans Pelicans. Sure, they did trade for CJ McCollum at the buzzer, but most people deemed that it wouldn't be enough to move the needle. With Zion Williamson still on the mend, many expected them to languish at the bottom of the league.

However… not even the most diehard of Pelicans fans expected CJ McCollum's impact to be THIS big. NOLA has trashed each of their four opponents since the All-Star break, and they've done so in incredible fashion. According to ESPN Stats & Info, they are the first team to outscore their opponents by at least 100 points in four games. (via Andrew Lopez)

It's not like the Pelicans have been beating up bad teams during their streak, too. They faced the Suns, the Kings, the Lakers, and most recently, the Jazz. These are all pretty good teams all things considered. Even if you consider most of them to be bad… the fact that they handily beat those teams speak volumes to their talent.

Leading the way for the Pelicans, unsurprisingly, is McCollum. The former Blazers guard is leading the way on and off the court, galvanizing the team with his steadying presence. Along with Brandon Ingram and a resurging Jonas Valanciunas, NOLA is looking like a playoff contender for next year, at the very least.

With Zion Williamson potentially coming back soon, fans of the Pelicans are starting to get their hopes up. If they do get everyone healthy again, they will be a great sleeper pick to upset some teams in the postseason.