3 Questions Pelicans Must Answer in the Final 10 Games of the Season

The New Orleans Pelicans are 25-47 for the season and have ten games left in the regular season. As perhaps the only team still trying to win games outside of the top ten of each conference, the Pelicans will likely continue to be competitive down the stretch and reach the 30-win threshold. While this may seem like an improvement from a season ago, it would be hard to categorize this season as anything but a major disappointment.

Yet, there have been positive signs since Dejounte Murray's return a month ago, giving Pelicans fans something to cheer for. In the final three weeks of the season, those same fans will be hoping to find the answer to a few important questions.

Can Derik Queen Finish Strong?

Queen has been marginalized in the rotation in recent weeks. The talented rookie is averaging less than 20 minutes per game since the All-Star break. In those 16 games, he has put up 8.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, significantly lower averages than his season-wide numbers. While his efficiency has stayed the same, his usage rate has taken a hit, going to 19.1% in February and 19.6% in March after being over 20% for three straight months.

The former Maryland star's effort level has waxed and waned throughout his rookie year. It's difficult to say that he has responded well to being benched, unlike fellow rookie Jeremiah Fears. Whether Queen can pick himself back up, put in better effort, get more involved offensively, and get more minutes as a result will be one of the most important storylines for the Pelicans.

Will Jordan Poole Boost His Value?

It has been a season from hell for Jordan Poole. Not only was he more injured than he has ever been in his career, but he also had an awful campaign whenever he was on the court. Poole only saw the court in seven games over the last two months despite being healthy. He has averaged 8.7 points and 2.9 assists on 37.3% shooting from the field and 30.4% from three in those games. Considering that he is still a clear negative defensively, Poole made it very difficult to justify giving him minutes.

He will likely continue to be a healthy scratch over the next ten games. If there are any injuries or Murray sitting out for injury management reasons, Poole can get back into the rotation. If he can play a little better, he could head to the offseason with some momentum. Otherwise, his $34 million salary for next season will be an albatross for the Pelicans. Whether it will be tradeable as an expiring contract remains to be seen.

Can James Borrego Guarantee His Head Coaching Job?

The Pelicans are 23-37 under Borrego this season. While that may not jump off the screen, there are clearly positive signs. New Orleans is the 16th-best offense and 20th-best defense in the league since Borrego took over, and has a respectable -1.8 net rating in that span, per Cleaning the Glass. Considering the ill-fitting roster, the need to integrate two rookies, and not having a reliable point guard or a center, it's hard to argue that Borrego has been unsuccessful.

Whether the front office agrees, however, is a different question. The Pelicans have yet to make a determination on Borrego's future. They haven't hinted at the direction they are going with their head coaching search, which suggests that Borrego could still show enough in the next few weeks to win the job.

New Orleans has the fifth-hardest remaining schedule in the league, per Tankathon, going up against the likes of the Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, and the Rockets. A solid showing against these teams could earn Borrego the permanent job.