Pelicans' Offseason Inactivity Doesn't Bode Well for Next Season

Despite a ton of offseason buzz to the contrary, the New Orleans Pelicans have been the quietest team of the summer. They have stood pat so far, not bringing in any new players. As things stand now, the Pelicans will have the exact same roster next season as they did at the end of last year.

Given that they won 26 games and were a bottom-ten team on both ends of the floor, this is not a good sign.

If anything, their record overstates things. For a large portion of the season, the Pelicans were at the bottom of the Western Conference. At the trade deadline, they had a -6.3 net rating and a 13-40 record. Only the Sacramento Kings had a lower win percentage.

Once the tanking teams gave up on the season after the trade deadline and began to position themselves for lottery odds, the Pelicans started winning games and ended with a somewhat respectable record. Sure, the Pelicans were playing better once Dejounte Murray returned, but it's impossible to ignore that a lot of it came against teams that were actively trying to lose games.

It would be a mistake to ignore this reality. The Pelicans were a worse team last season than their 21st ranking in net rating (-4.4) indicates.

Every Team Around the Pelicans Will Be Better Next Season

This is a problem ahead of next season. The league changed its lottery rules, disincentivizing intentional losing. Now, there is a benefit to chasing the Play-In, as teams that finish with the fourth to tenth worst records will have the best lottery odds. Teams will desperately try to avoid having the three worst records, as that significantly lowers their chances at a top pick.

With this in mind, the lottery teams have taken steps forward. They have all made moves with the hopes of upgrading their roster for next season. The competition among non-playoff teams will increase dramatically next season.

This means that the Pelicans have to step up their game. So far, they have done nothing.

New Orleans had a glaring need to add more size and physicality. They were dominated inside the paint and on the boards all season and had one of the worst center rotations in the league. While the rest of the league loaded up on centers, the Pelicans have been quiet.

This doesn't bode well for the Pelicans for next season. The Western Conference is as stacked as ever. To start the season, every single team will be trying. Unless Joe Dumars & Co. have something unexpected up their sleeve over the next couple of weeks, it may be another season in the dregs for the Pelicans.

Add us as a preferred source on Google