The Pelicans only have one guaranteed play-in game ahead of them, but future seems far brighter than that regardless of what happens when they host the Spurs on Wednesday.
With a lottery pick incoming courtesy of the Lakers' collapse, an impressive core of stars leading this year's team and even more stars getting healthy and on the horizon, it's easy to see why.
"When you look at what this team has for down-the-road purposes … if these are good days, they’re going to be great days down the road,” said Joel Meyers, Pelicans play-by-play announcer as he joined SportsTalk with Bobby Hebert, Kristian Garic and Mike Detillier.
Listen to Joel Meyers' full interview in the player below. Can't see the embed? Click here.
“This franchise is growing the way it should now," he continued, likening the team's chemistry to that of which the Saints have enjoyed for so many seasons.
This year's Pelicans squad bounced back from a 3-16 start to finish the regular season at 36-46, a mark good enough to qualify for the 9th seed in the Western Conference. That means they'll host San Antonio (the 10th) seed, for the right to travel to face the loser of the 7-8 matchup between the L.A. Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves. The winner of that game would move on to a first-round series against the top-seeded Phoenix Suns.
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But that trip would likely only be gravy on top of what has turned into a get-right season under first-year head coach Willie Green. The Pelicans turned a corner after that ugly start with quality play from Brandon Ingram, elite production from 2nd-round rookie Herbert Jones -- along with quality play from rookie Trey Murphy and undrafted Jose Alvarado -- and veteran center Jonas Valanciunas, even before a blockbuster trade for shooting guard CJ McCollum.
“He wanted to be in New Orleans," Meyers said, calling back to a conversation the pair had recently. "He knows what the potential of this franchise is. … This is just a great place to be now, and it’s only going to get better.”
Next year the team will own the Lakers' lottery pick and hope to get back superstar Zion Williamson, who has missed the entire season with a foot injury, along with guard Kira Lewis Jr., who has missed a majority of the year with a torn ACL.
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Until then, this upstart group that now includes Larry Nance and Tony Snell, along with key role players like Naji Marshall, Willy Hernangomez and Jaxson Hayes, will see how much noise they can make in a postseason that almost felt out of reach a month into the season.
“All these guys, they are all there with a purpose and a common goal. It’s unique, and the Saints have had it for a long time, the Pels are going to have it now: chemistry. These guys really like being here, they like being together, they appreciate each others’ success, which is not normal.”