The New Orleans Pelicans have an open invitation to the playoffs.
Even though they lost their first two games, things couldn’t have gone much better for the New Orleans Pelicans so far.
That’s because just about every team they are chasing has also faltered, with Memphis losing all four of their first games and watching their grip on the 8th seed slip away.
Entering today’s game with the Sacramento Kings, the Pelicans are now just two games behind the Grizzlies for the 8th seed, picking up a game and a half on the Grizzlies even though the Pels have only won one game.
The Pelicans currently sit tied for the 10th seed with the San Antonio Spurs, who they will play on August 9th in what is looking like a very important game for both teams.
The Pelicans are still one game behind the Portland Trail Blazers and don’t get a head-to-head matchup to try and make it up, so the Pels will have to hope that they get some help, starting tonight when Portland takes on Denver.
None of this matters if the Pelicans don’t win their own games, so they will have to resist the urge to get ahead of themselves and take care of business against the teams in front of them in the gym.
The New Orleans Pelicans’ inconsistency has been their undoing all season, which is why many pundits are now picking the Trail Blazers to snatch the 8th seed.
FiveThirtyEight gives the Portland Trailblazers an edge over the New Orleans Pelicans.
According to FiveThirtyEight, the Portland Trail Blazers have the best odds to grab the 8th seed away from the Grizzlies, who are all but being written off.
The Blazers have a 46% chance at the playoffs, while the Pelicans are only being given a 36% chance to make it.
The Grizzlies are now being given just a 13% chance to make the playoffs. They were already playing poorly, but news that Jaren Jackson Jr. would miss the rest of the season did not help their chances.
The bubble has not been kind to Memphis and they are building towards an epic collapse and may not even make the play-in series if it continues.
The Suns still have a 2% chance of making the playoffs according to FiveThirtyEight and the Kings less than one, which will be extinguished if the Pelicans win today.
The New Orleans Pelicans don’t completely control their destiny, but a win over the Kings puts them right in the mix for the 9th seed, which is exactly where they want to be.