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Reading: NBA Executives Believe The New Orleans Pelicans Are Legitimate Title Contenders
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Home > NBA News & Analysis > NBA Executives Believe The New Orleans Pelicans Are Legitimate Title Contenders

NBA Executives Believe The New Orleans Pelicans Are Legitimate Title Contenders

NBA executives think that the New Orleans Pelicans are legitimate title contenders if their stars are healthy.

Gautam Varier
Jan 8, 2023
3 Min Read
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Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

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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ByGautam Varier
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Gautam Varier is a staff writer and columnist for Fadeaway World from Mumbai, India. He graduated from Symbiosis International University with a Master of Business specializing in Sports Management in 2020. This educational achievement enables Gautam to apply sophisticated analytical techniques to his incisive coverage of basketball, blending business acumen with sports knowledge.Before joining Fadeaway World in 2022, Gautam honed his journalistic skills at Sportskeeda and SportsKPI, where he covered a range of sports topics with an emphasis on basketball. His passion for the sport was ignited after witnessing the high-octane offense of the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. Among the Suns, Shawn Marion stood out to Gautam as an all-time underrated NBA player. Marion’s versatility as a defender and his rebounding prowess, despite being just 6’7”, impressed Gautam immensely. He admired Marion’s finishing ability at the rim and his shooting, despite an unconventional jump shot, believing that Marion’s skill set would have been even more appreciated in today’s NBA.This transformative experience not only deepened his love for basketball but also shaped his approach to sports writing, enabling him to connect with readers through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis.
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