The New Orleans Pelicans (37-25) are 12 games over .500 and sitting in fifth place with just under a quarter of the 2023-24 NBA regular-season schedule remaining, putting them in position to make the playoffs. The franchise has not always gotten off to a great start under third-year head coach Willie Green, but this locker room always finishes well regardless of who is available. Getting things right for the stretch run is a trend that bodes well for an organization looking for respect, not a repeat of last year's ending.
Green's message to the Pelicans has remained constant through the highs and lows. His debut season was an edge-of-the-seat scramble for the final NBA Play-In Tournament spot. That 2021-22 rookie year as a head coach began with a disastrous 3-14 start. The Detroit Mercy alum has never had a losing record over the last 20 games of an 82-game campaign, however. The Pelicans were 10-10 down the stretch and secured a spot in the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament. A four-game winning streak preceded that last 20-game run as well.
It took a while, but Green eventually grasped what would work with the young group. Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum led the NBA Playoffs charge but came up short in a series versus the Phoenix Suns. It was a heroic six-game effort against the Suns, and the Pelicans needed to win two elimination games to secure that opportunity. The play-in road win against the Los Angeles Clippers spawned the ‘You've got to fight' speech, which earned Green a Mardi Gras parade full of fans and a bit more leeway with the front office.
The 2022-23 Pelicans went 12-8 down the stretch with a five-game win streak and four wins in the last six games to secure an NBA Play-In Tournament spot. Unfortunately, the Pelicans could not inbound the ball in the final minutes of a home loss to the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder. Avoiding the play-in altogether is the goal for this season.
Willie Green's Pelicans need All-Stars playing together
Zion Williamson has been issued a challenge by Herb Jones. Williamson has been unavailable at the end of the past two seasons, so McCollum and Ingram shouldered the burdens of leading the team. McCollum, acquired in a midseason trade, only knew a couple of plays against the Suns. Ingram played like an All-Star.
Ingram averaged 22.7 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.3 rebounds over the final 20 games of Green's rookie season coaching. Those numbers jumped to 26.9 points, 7.1 assists, and six rebounds over the last 20 games in 2022-23. The 25-year-old is on another hot streak now, though the stats show the court is now shared with Williamson. Ingram leads the team in scoring (22.5 ppg) over the last 15 games. He also adds 6.3 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game in that span.
New Orleans is hitting high gear at the right time. The Pelicans are 11-4 over the last 15 games with 20 to go, and the they have a balanced, manageable schedule down the stretch. They will play 10 possible play-in or lottery teams and 10 top-six playoff contenders down this 2024 20-game stretch run. A top-six seed is very likely if this largely organically grown core can continue at its current pace.
New Orleans as a city is hoping to hang more than just a Southwest Divisional winner banner. As for the individuals with the most to win or lose these last few weeks, well, it's not very complicated. Williamson is looking to finally play on the biggest postseason stage the game can offer this side of the Olympic gold-medal game. Ingram is itching for that first playoff series victory.
Green is gunning for a contract extension as the new young coaching wiz. Will he get it? Well, that depends on how the Pelicans enter the playoffs, and how soon they exit. Green's job is not on the line, but New Orleans needs to show progress with this roster sooner rather than later. The front office loses flexibility the longer this experiment plays out without any playoff series wins. Good thing Green usually figures things out about this time of the year.
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