Top 5 Most Important New Orleans Pelicans Series Next Season
The New Orleans Pelicans hope to sustain the new positive momentum for the next two decades. The San Antonio Spurs provided a small market blueprint for success over the last twenty years.
San Antonio lost Kawhi Leonard but still made the playoffs. Anthony Davis demanded a trade away from the New Orleans Pelicans, yet the team looks better situated for the future after his departure. The Pelicans are aiming to as respected as the Spurs, and are well on their way to achieving that goal.
David Griffin wants to build a sustainable championship culture in his position with the New Orleans Pelicans. No other franchise can challenge the consistent championship contention of the San Antonio Spurs over the past two decades. For years, San Antonio has been the one team the Pelicans could never truly best.
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The Spurs beat the Pelicans in the seventh game of the Western Conference semi-finals, back in the Chris Paul era. That team represented the best chance for New Orleans basketball to experience hosting NBA Finals games.
This could be the year the Spurs finally drop from contention. San Antonio could realistically miss the playoffs. The same notion was prevalent last season, and the Spurs still took the Nuggets to a Game 7.
The Pelicans and Spurs both have young core backcourt pieces. Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, DeMar DeRozan, and Lonnie Walker will play the bulk of the Spurs backcourt minutes. Holiday needs to most exert his dominance in games against fringe playoff teams.
His supporting cast has to carry their weight against San Antonio. Overall team talent can defeat the lottery teams. Toppling the Spurs takes a bit more effort, no matter who is in uniform.
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The same way Holiday swept Portland, he can help end the Spurs playoff streak. A streak of wins against these five teams would likely see the Pelicans take someone’s place in the playoff bracket.