Pelicans May Be One Piece Away From Being a Playoff Team

On paper, there is not much to be hopeful about the New Orleans Pelicans. They are 25-48 and don't have a first-round pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft. When paid close attention, however, there are enough flashes to be optimistic about the immediate future of the franchise.

The Pelicans lost to the Cavaliers and the Knicks in their last two games. Yet, they were competitive all the way to the end in both games, leading for large portions of the game. Those are two solid playoff teams with real aspirations, and the Pelicans put up a good fight against both of them.

Considering how the Pelicans have been playing over the last month, this is hardly surprising. Yes, there were a few easy wins against tanking teams, but the Pelicans have played well against good teams in that span. In fact, since Dejounte Murray's season debut on February 24, the Pelicans have a +3.9 net rating, which makes them the 12th-best team in the league, per Cleaning the Glass. The Pelicans have gone 9-6 over the last month, ranking in the top half of the league in both offense and defense.

When the Pelicans have their veterans healthy, they have been a good team all season. In lineups that have Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson, and Herb Jones, the Pelicans outscore their opponents by 2.7 points per 100 possessions. When Dejounte Murray joins that trio, the Pelicans have a net rating of +9.4, putting them among the best teams in the league.

The sample size there is obviously not enough, but the fact that the Pelicans are a vastly different team when healthy is undeniable. They may not be an elite team, but one can easily argue that this team could be a playoff team.

Pelicans Are One Starting Center Away From Being Formidable

There is only one major piece needed for the Pelicans to feel good about their chances of being a playoff team next season and beyond: a quality starting center.

Head coach James Borrego has found success in centerless starting lineups in recent weeks, bringing both Derik Queen and Yves Missi off the bench and not giving DeAndre Jordan or Kevon Looney any minutes. This has made the Pelicans a more mobile and athletic unit. But, it also makes them vulnerable on the boards and inside the paint. Without a solid rim protector that can also end possessions by grabbing a rebound, it's very difficult to have a solid defense.

Missi and Queen are valuable big men. Missi can protect the rim, is versatile, and has decent defensive upside. He has shown an improvement on the offensive end this season, as well. Queen has shown a ton of flashes as a passer, scorer, and post-up player in his rookie campaign. But, defensive concerns about him remain, and whether his best position in the long run is at center is unclear.

The top priority for the Pelicans this summer should be finding a solid defensive center who can play next to both Williamson and Queen, separately. So, the Pelicans need basically what they thought they were getting with Looney. If they can get a shot-blocking, rebounding big man, the Pelicans should like their chances of being a competitive team chasing the playoffs next season.