New Orleans Pelicans: Next 8 Games Could Determine Playoffs

With only 22 games remaining, the New Orleans Pelicans are running out of time to catch the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff position in the Western Conference.

The New Orleans Pelicans have been playing well behind rookie sensation Zion Williamson, but still find themselves 3.5 games out of the eight seed in the Western Conference.

It looked as though the Pelicans were going to catch the Grizzlies, who had lost five in a row and the young team looked like it might have finally hit a wall.

All-Star Brandon Ingram has been playing like a young Durant, and Lonzo Ball is emerging as one of the best playmakers in the NBA for the surging Pelicans.

https://twitter.com/PelicansNBA/status/1234522257118109696

But things change quickly in the NBA, as the Grizzlies were able to pull off the upset against the Los Angeles Lakers, who then beat the Pelicans the very next night behind a triple-double from LeBron James, who played like he was trying to keep New Orleans out of the playoffs.

The Grizzlies then blew out the Hawks and now find themselves comfortably ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings, who are in a three-way tie for the ninth position, 3.5 games back of the Grizzlies.

Nate Silver’s Five Thirty Eight still gives the Pelicans a 62 percent chance of making the playoffs, as they have the NBA’s easiest remaining schedule, while Memphis has one of the most difficult.

This may not matter if the New Orleans Pelicans don’t put themselves in position to get within striking distance of Memphis over the next eight games.

The Next 8 Could Decide It

The New Orleans Pelicans

With only two games remaining with Memphis, this stretch could very well determine if the Pelicans are close enough to catch the Grizzlies in head-to-head action or if they are going to need a whole lot of help down the stretch.

The next eight games feature two versus the Minnesota Timberwolves, and one each against the Mavericks, Heat, Kings, Jazz, Clippers and Hawks.

That is a tough run of games that includes four playoff bound teams, the emerging Kings, and the Timberwolves and Hawks who are no gimmes.

The New Orleans Pelicans cannot afford give away games to lesser competition in this stretch and they very well may need to beat a team like the Jazz or Clippers in order to not lose ground to Memphis.

The Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies also have a tough eight-game stretch against the Nets, Mavericks, Hawks, Magic, Trail Blazers, Jazz, Spurs and Thunder.

If the New Orleans Pelicans could go 5-3 or 6-2 over these next eight games, then they could gain ground against Memphis, but if they go .500 or worse, Memphis might actually pull away behind the strong play of rookie Ja Morant.

After these eight games, the season gets serious, as the Pelicans will face the Spurs, Grizzlies, Kings and Grizzlies again in a four-game stretch that will go a long way to determining the final playoff spot in the West.

The New Orleans Pelicans still have time to catch Memphis but it is rapidly running out. If they can play well over this next run of games then they will be in a position to catch or pass Memphis when they play in Memphis on March 21st.

Play poorly and they may let the Grizzlies sneak away and deny the world the Pelicans vs. Lakers first round matchup that we all deserve.