A 70 Game Season Could Work for the New Orleans Pelicans

Rumors are flying the that NBA may re-start in July, which could work out for the New Orleans Pelicans and their playoff hopes.

The New Orleans Pelicans might get a chance to extend their season.

According to 105.3 The Fan, NBA sources say that the league is considering re-starting play in July and completing a 70-game season.

The Pelicans still plan to make the playoffs, so this could be good news depending on how it plays out.

There are a couple of different ways the NBA could choose to finish the season, so let’s take a look at the scenarios.

Just Playing the next 5-6 Games on the Schedule

One option would be to continue following the schedule until each team reaches the 70 game mark.

The New Orleans Pelicans would have six games remaining against the Kings, Jazz, Clippers, Hawks, Spurs and Memphis.

That means three of the six would be meaningful games with potential playoff implications, but with just one game remaining against the Grizzlies and two tough games against the Clippers and Jazz, the chances of the Pelicans catching the Grizzlies would be small.

In addition, the Grizzlies would only have five games remaining against the Trail Blazers, Jazz, Spurs, Thunder and Bucks.

Obviously something would have to change under this format, as the Pelicans would still have one game left against a team that had already finished its schedule.

It’s unlikely that the league would proceed like this, as there isn’t really any point for teams like the New Orleans Pelicans to risk injuries for what amounts to a minuscule chance at the playoffs.

Playing Meaningful Games Only

A format that would work out better for the New Orleans Pelicans is if the league chooses the 5-6 most meaningful games left on the schedule and has teams play those.

In this format, the Pelicans would still get both remaining games with Memphis, the Kings and the Spurs, which would give them a real chance to make the playoffs.

If the Pelicans could sweep against Memphis and win 5 of 6, it might be enough to close the 3.5 game gap with the Grizzlies, though it would take some help.

The Pelicans would not only need the Grizzlies to lose most of their remaining games, but would also need to ensure that Portland, Sacramento or San Antonio didn’t win all of theirs.

Obviously a 70 game schedule hinders the New Orleans Pelicans chances at the playoffs, but if things broke the right way, they’d still be in with a shot.

Let’s hope the league figures out a fair and safe way to finish the season that still gives all of the teams chasing the playoffs a fighting chance.