After they made the playoffs last season, there were high expectations of the New Orleans Pelicans coming into the 2022-23 campaign. They have quite a talented group of players and even gave the top-seeded Phoenix Suns a run for their money in the playoffs.
They did it without Zion Williamson, who missed the whole of last season, and his return was to take them to the next level. The Pelicans certainly haven’t wilted under the pressure that comes with expectations, as they have the third-best record in the Western Conference at 24-15. NBA executives have been impressed by the Pelicans, and they heaped praise on the franchise while speaking to Heavy.
via Heavy:
“I think they turned their s*** around when CJ came on board, just because he’s such a pro and he’s such a legitimate scorer,” said one.
With younger stars maturing and others accepting roles, the Pelicans are looking more legitimate overall.
But in the playoffs?
“Even more in the playoffs,” an opposing general manager told Heavy Sports. “New Orleans is real. When they have their main guys, they’re legit. When they’ve got CJ and Zion and Brandon Ingram playing, that team’s legit.
The key is that they have to stay healthy. Zion has missed some games due to injuries this season and is set to be out of action for at least a month now, while Brandon Ingram hasn’t played in over a month. They lost to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday with both of them being out, and CJ McCollum was rested for the game too.
Frustrations Are Building For The Pelicans As Brandon Ingram Suffered A Setback
Ingram’s absence has been a blow to the team in more ways than one. They were missing one of their stars, which is never ideal, but they also weren’t able to get more opportunities to see how the offense works with him, Zion, and McCollum together on the court.
It is not easy for three 20-point scorers to play together, and they need to spend as much time as possible on the court, which just hasn’t happened. Reports surfaced that frustrations are growing within the building after Ingram suffered a setback, and you do wonder if injuries and lack of time spent together on the court would eventually be their downfall this season.
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