Every NBA restart team’s schedule ranked
By Ethan Becker
No. 9: The New Orleans Pelicans
Schedule Score: 0.2
Right, so, there has been some criticism of the NBA for the supposedly light schedule that the New Orleans Pelicans have, but let’s take a real look at that schedule.
New Orleans is the only non playoff teams to rank in the top 10, and the closest team below them ranks number 11.
The Pelicans are one of a few teams in this list who face just one of the top three teams in either conference, and among the teams who do fit that description, the Pelicans are one of just a small handful of teams who do not face either of the number one seeds. Two of the teams who fit that description are the number one seeds–the Bucks and Lakers–and the rest rank below New Orleans. Take into account that the Pelicans have a four game stretch of facing teams not currently in the playoffs and…and…
I forgot the point I was trying to make.
All jokes aside, the Pelicans draw comparisons to the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls, in the sense that the Bulls were the sixth seed going into those playoffs, but weren’t a real sixth seed because they got Michael Jordan back halfway through the season. These Pelicans are a 10 seed, but they aren’t a real 10 seed because they got Zion Williamson halfway through the season. Zion’s impact has already been felt, and as dirty as I feel admitting it, the Pelicans will be fun to watch as teams try to figure how to beat them with that new piece.