New Orleans Pelicans: Power Ranking the Yacht Club
New Orleans Pelicans: Yacht Club Power Rankings #4 and #3
#4: San Antonio Spurs (27-36)
Key Injuries: LaMarcus Aldridge
With Aldridge sidelined after a season-ending surgery, it’s tempting to put the Spurs a bit lower, but they still have some good players, are well-coached and it’s hard to count the Spurs out in any situation.
They will also be getting center Jakob Poeltl back from injury, which should offset some of Aldridge’s production.
Their lineup isn’t going to scare anyone, but they have some savvy veterans who know how to win in DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills and Marco Belinelli to go along with youngsters like Dejounte Murray.
The Spurs know their roles, don’t make a lot of mistakes (they have the best turnover percentage in the NBA) and won’t kill themselves, but they also don’t have a lot of firepower.
The Spurs are four games back of Memphis so would have to at least tie them, plus overtake the Kings, Pelicans and Portland, which is unlikely.
It looks like the Spurs’ 22-year playoff run may finally be coming to an end.
#3: Sacramento Kings (28-36)
Key Injuries: None
It looks as though Marvin Bagley III will be back from injury, so the Kings should be full strength.
They were playing well before the break, winning seven of their last ten.
If Bagley is back, the Kings are a deep and talented team, but also very young, much like the New Orleans Pelicans.
Other than Harrison Barnes, the Kings don’t have anyone who is really playoff tested, but it might not matter, as D’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Buddy Hield and Harry Giles can all play.
The problem is that the Kings don’t do any one thing particularly well. They are the 19th rated offensive team in the NBA and the 18th on defense.
The Kings are one of the teams that could leapfrog those in front of them to force a play-in, and if they did, I wouldn’t bet against them beating Memphis twice and making the playoffs.
The Kings schedule will likely be very similar to the New Orleans Pelicans, so it may come down to their head-to-head matchups.