Pelicans' Losing Streak Could Be a Blessing in Disguise for the Future

When the Pelicans won ten of their first 15 games out of the All-Star break, many wondered whether there was a competitive team in disguise in New Orleans. The age-old question that Pelicans fans have grown accustomed to over the years was brought up again: Is this team actually good when everyone is healthy?

This is a trap question that has left the Pelicans in their current state. Yes, the Pelicans, like every other team in the league, are better when they are healthy. But, it doesn't make it worth it to keep it together just to chase an improbable No. 8 seed in a stacked conference.

When the Pelicans were winning more than they had in two years since the All-Star break, there was fear among the fanbase that this would trick the front office into thinking that this was a team worth investing in. That didn't last long as the Pelicans have lost seven straight games.

Pelicans' Losing Streak Could Benefit the Team in the Long Run

As embarrassing as the current seven-game losing streak that hit new lows after the loss to the Sacramento Kings is, it could also be a blessing in disguise. It would be nearly impossible for the Pelicans' top brass to convince themselves that this core could be a playoff team next season.

It's not like the Pelicans were more injured than expected this season. Zion Williamson is having one of the healthiest seasons of his career. Saddiq Bey and Trey Murphy will finish the season with at least 70 games played. Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen only missed one game between the two of them. Besides Herb Jones missing 23 games earlier in the season and Dejounte Murray missing extended time due to his recovery from an Achilles rupture, the Pelicans weren't any less healthy than any of their counterparts.

The problem is simple: this team is worse than the sum of its parts, and its parts aren't even that good to begin with. The roster construction needs to be blamed to be sure, but if the individual players on this team were as good as the front office thinks they are, this team would have more than 25 wins. This is the reality that the Pelicans have to come to terms with.

In today's NBA, where almost a third of the league is actively tanking since the trade deadline, the Pelicans are going to finish with fewer than 30 wins. Despite desperately trying to win and playing their veterans over the promising rookies, the Pelicans have failed to have a better record than teams intentionally trying to lose games.

A massive rebuild is needed in New Orleans. The Joe Dumars regime failed to see this last offseason or at this year's trade deadline. Hopefully, this latest stretch will help them open their eyes. That could be the only silver lining from this disaster of a season.