The New Orleans Pelicans' stock is on the rise. Now that CJ McCollum has returned from a collapsed lung and Trey Murphy hasn't taken much time in re-acclimating himself back from a torn meniscus, the Pelicans have more depth than ever. In fact, the Pelicans were as healthy as ever during their 127-117 win over the Sacramento Kings in the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals, as they were missing just Larry Nance Jr.

Now, the Pelicans' standing in the league as one of its more legitimate contenders is starting to take shape. Kings sharpshooter Kevin Huerter, in particular, believes that New Orleans has the right kind of personnel to compete against anyone in the NBA. They have sharpshooters in McCollum, Murphy, and Jordan Hawkins, pesky defenders in Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado, a perimeter go-to-guy in Brandon Ingram, a dominant paint presence in Zion Williamson, and a switchable big man in Nance.

“They had a lot of guys that were out at their place who were effective tonight. We did a good job on Zion, but Ingram had it going all game. Their bench was great — a big reason they came back,” Huerter said after the game, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN.

Kevin Huerter wasn't the only one convinced of the Pelicans' chances of being a dangerous team come April. One league source even went as far as to say that New Orleans could be a legitimate threat to the Denver Nuggets' chances of repeating as NBA champion.

“With their complete roster, they are the team that I could see challenging the Denver Nuggets for the top team in the West,” the anonymous source said.

What will be crucial to helping the Pelicans fulfill their potential as a unit is Zion Williamson's health; if he's on the court come April, the Pelicans will be hard to beat. They were the one seed last season when Williamson went down with a season-ending injury after all.

“This team can be so great. We have a lot of potential, but we have a lot of growth to do. But overall, we can do something really special if everybody stays locked in. We can do something really special,” Williamson said.