New Orleans Pelicans: Pros and Cons of the play-in tournament returning

How the play-in tournament could hurt the New Orleans Pelicans next season

It’s time to look at the flip side of the play-in tournament, and for that, I think we only need to look at how the New Orleans Pelicans performed in this past year’s version of the tournament.

Now I know, you can poke some holes in that view because of a few defining factors. First, in this past tournament, the Pelicans were coming in out-of-shape after a long layoff due to the pandemic. Secondly, the team had to enter a bubble that clearly impacted the mental health of the team. And third, the team had a lesser coach then.

Still, if you’re looking for how the play-in tournament could be a negative for the New Orleans Pelicans, you don’t have to look past last season to find your answer.

In last season’s tournament, the team folded under pressure and that resulted in them not even playing in the actual play-in for the 8th seed. That can easily make fans question if it was outside circumstances that hurt the Pelicans or if they’re just a choking team.

Playing in a play-in tournament is essentially playing the playoffs. Every team that enters into that tournament is going to fight tooth and nail to land a spot and prove that they’re on the come-up. That means the Pelicans will have to take on every team’s A-game.

Looking past the mental aspect, I’m wondering if the New Orleans Pelicans will be able to pick up Van Gundy’s system in his first season, especially if the pandemic ends up pausing the team’s consistent growth.

Overall, I’d say that this year is a new season and that the Pelicans should feel encouraged by the return of the play-in tournament. It might even be a chance at redemption for them. Instead of thinking about that tournament though, I’d rather prefer that the New Orleans Pelicans recognize their opportunity this season and get out to a fast start so they can lock up a playoff spot early.