A Play-In Tournament would Benefit the New Orleans Pelicans

If the NBA decides to use some kind of play-in tournament for the final playoff spots, then the New Orleans Pelicans would be the favorite.

It appears that the NBA is leaning towards trying to finish the season, but how they do that will drastically affect the New Orleans Pelicans.

Recent rumors indicate that the league may just ditch the regular season and start the playoffs with the top-16 teams, which would leave the Pelicans on the outside looking in.

But according to Adrian Wojnarowski on Get Up ESPN, the plans are far from finalized and the NBA could get creative when it comes to format.

A play-in tournament is the best option for the New Orleans Pelicans, as none of the other rumored options would give them a realistic route to the playoffs.

In fact, some would argue that if there were a play-in tournament, the Pelicans would be the favorite to snag the last seed in the West.

It really depends on the format and how many teams were involved, but the Pelicans have fared well against the Kings, Grizzlies and Trail Blazers, which would be their primary competition.

The Pelicans beat the Kings in their only meeting, went 2-0 against the Grizzlies in two blowouts and swept the Trail Blazers 4-0 this season.

The New Orleans Pelicans are also healthy for the first time and were just starting to find a groove with Zion Williamson, a 19-game sample that barely scratched the surface of this team’s talent.

In any type of tournament, some consideration should be given to the Memphis Grizzlies, who have played well this season and deserve some kind of advantage if there is a play-in option.

The Pelicans are just hoping to get a chance, and a play-in tourney is the best option currently on the table.