New Orleans Pelicans: Pros and Cons of Making the Playoffs

9th Seed or Lower and Going Home for the Summer

Even if the New Orleans Pelicans do not get into the playoffs, not all is lost.

Here is some optimism for the glass-half-full point of view. Tempering expectations can help a Zion-led squad avoid some of the issues that plagued Davis in his time as a Pelican.

Davis spent seven seasons in New Orleans and had two playoff trips with only one series win and it left a lot to be desired. So where does that leave this version of the New Orleans Pelicans?

While making the playoffs and potentially getting bounced early would provide atmospheric familiarity it could damage confidence going forward and lead to media narratives that could ultimately hurt the team and its chances of keeping this core intact.

There will be detractors saying Zion can’t lead a team to playoff success, just like they did with Davis. That’s unfair to put on a 19-year-old kid but the Twitter-verse and NBA Twitter fans don’t deal in nuance or fairness.

It wouldn’t be long before the “Can the Pelicans Re-Sign Zion?” articles starting coming out, with fans wondering if the Pelicans were going to waste Zion’s prime like they did with Davis.

If too much pressure is put on Zion to win now, be the face of the franchise, beat LeBron and do it all as a teenager, he may decide that the pressure to carry the team is too much and take his talents elsewhere, as Davis essentially did.

Zion is a kid learning how to play NBA ball despite being astounding so far into his young career.

But this type of pressure and media attention could get ugly. Some outlets were already wondering if Zion should leave  before he was even there, and it won’t help if he is expected to make the playoffs in his first, injury-shortened year in the league.

Instead of anointing Zion as the next face of the league against LeBron, the Pelicans could quietly reshape their team so that when they do make the playoffs they are ready to win.

The magic of David Griffin was alive and well when the Pelicans landed the top lottery ping pong ball while having the odds to land the eighth pick a year ago, and we can hope for a similar luck in the lottery this year.

Griffin also understands the pitfalls of trying to build around a young superstar.

With growth over the season and offseason and a new higher draft pick, the New Orleans Pelicans could be players in the Western Conference for years to come.

I’m personally leaning towards getting the team healthy and prepped for a run next season instead of potentially getting bounced brutally in the first round.

There are definitely benefits for a young team to get those first reps in the playoffs, but there are also some pros to not putting too much on Zion’s shoulders right away. The New Orleans Pelicans still have a chance to get there, but if they don’t make the playoffs there are some hidden benefits.