New Orleans Pelicans Viewed as a Wildcard for This Upcoming Season

The New Orleans Pelicans face a significant amount of certainty coming into the season.

Dec 31, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) and forward Brandon Ingram (14) share a laugh after a play against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

With the NBA regular season a little more than two months away, the New Orleans Pelicans are like the other 29 teams in the league, filled with optimism that they can compete for a title.

The Pelicans have gone through a few changes this offseason. New Orleans has lost some players and front-office personnel, but they have also upgraded in some ways.

Many experts are cautious about the Pelicans chances this year. Bleacher Report released their predictions for every team's win-loss record for this year, and while they have New Orleans winning 46 games, it's a step down from last season's 49 wins.

Pelicans coach Willie Green has increased his win total every year he's coached in New Orleans, so that would be a step back for him.

Even on social media, many fans and experts are unsure how this season will play out for the Pelicans. NBA enthusiast Brett Usher posed a question on X recently, asking which NBA team has the widest range of potential outcomes this season. The post received nearly 200 comments, with many responders naming the New Orleans Pelicans as the wildcard team.

Which NBA team has the widest range of potential outcomes next season?

— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) August 16, 2024

The answer to this question is ALWAYS the New Orleans Pelicans.

Always.

— CWC. (@CW_Chambers) August 16, 2024

ATL out East. I have NO idea what to expect.
NOP & MEM out west. Either/both swing as low as lottery and as high as legit title contenders based on the health/availability of their legit stars.
All 3 of those teams fascinate me.
My own team I think is firmly 33-38 range.

— ChiChiandPato (@ChiChiandPato) August 17, 2024

New Orleans doesn't have the history to back the claim of being a true contender in the league. The team returned to New Orleans in 2002 and has never made it past the second round of the playoffs. They are one of only five teams in the league who have not reached an NBA Finals in its history.

During the offseason, the Pelicans lost a ton of frontcourt depth. Jonas Valanciunas, Larry Nance, Jr., and Cody Zeller are no longer on the team.

Despite their best efforts, New Orleans was not able to acquire a starting-caliber center this summer. They will head into the season with first-round pick Yves Missi, newly-signed center Daniel Theis, and former second-round pick Karlo Matkovic as choices to play center this year. That's not ideal considering New Orleans is in the same conference as Denver's Nikola Jokic, the Lakers' Anthony Davis, and San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama.

Pelicans star Zion Williamson could see some time at center, especially in small-ball lineups. He has played less than 10% of plays at the five position and injury is always a concern for him. Williamson played 70 games last year, the most in his five-year career. Still, he injured himself during the Play-In Tournament and missed the playoffs again. Williamson has yet to appear in the playoffs in his NBA career. He will need to be healthy and play near an MVP level for the Pelicans to have a chance this season.

The team also has a major decision to make regarding Brandon Ingram. He is currently still on the roster despite the Pelicans shopping him around this summer. Ingram is in the last year of his current deal and seeks the max extension, worth about $50 million a year. The Pelicans are unwilling to meet that demand and both sides are in a stalemate.

Will the Pelicans move Ingram before the All-Star break? Will there be a distraction surrounding the team about his status and future with the Pelicans?

Those questions will iron themselves out when the season starts. There is real trepidation regarding the center position and Ingrams's future in a Pelicans uniform.

Still, New Orleans has talent and has been trending in the right direction in the last few years. Coach Green will have to deal with the good and bad so he can navigate this team to true contention in the league.