Forget about free agency and the draft. Here are three things the New Orleans Pelicans can do better that might get them to the Finals.
Fans tend to focus on free agency and the draft when it comes to improving the team. While the New Orleans Pelicans certainly have a few holes, there are internal improvements that can get them to the next level.
Even though the New Orleans Pelicans were 3.5 games out of the 8th seed in the Western Conference this season, it is reasonable to think that they could make a big leap in 2020-21.
The Pelicans are a young, ascending team that played only 19 games with superstar rookie Zion Williamson.
They were only 10-9 during that stretch, but considering the schedule and their relative unfamiliarity with one another, that record is reason to be excited.
With a full offseason, training camp and pre-season, the young Pelicans have a chance to put on additional strength and to develop chemistry as a team.
It’s not crazy to think that the Pelicans could be battling for a 4th or 5th seed next season instead of the 8th.
If a few things go right in the draft and free agency, they could be right in the mix in the Western Conference, whose best teams are formidable but getting older.
Do you really think LeBron James and the Lakers wanted to play the young upstart Pelicans in the first round? Me either.
Next year, the New Orleans Pelicans will be even scarier, especially if they can clean up some team-wide problems that held them back this season.
Even without a big splashy trade or free agent, the Pelicans can get a lot better at the things that don’t require a change in personnel.
Here are three things the New Orleans Pelicans must improve if they want to make the leap into the Western Conference elite.