New Orleans Pelicans: Why another shutdown could benefit the team

#3- Another NBA shutdown would likely allow the New Orleans Pelicans player to take the COVID-19 vaccine, and gel as a team

This final piece is obvious, but it’s a big one. Stopping the season at some point could allow NBA players enough time to get vaccinated and recover.

This is important, regardless of how you might feel about the virus as an individual. We know, that the NBA is taking COVID-19 seriously with lengthy health protocols, and contact tracing. As a result, though, a lot of these teams are losing players to these conditions.

For a team like the Pelicans that has several new faces on the roster, COVID-19 and its protocols are inhibiting team chemistry. The less time guys spent on the court together, the less they know their tendencies.

We’ve all seen by now that the teams that win championships in the NBA often have a well-established connection and chemistry. Beyond the title-winners, most playoff teams have this as well.

If the New Orleans Pelicans want to break out of their funk and get into the playoffs then they need all the time they can as a team together on the court. That means not losing Zion Williamson to inconclusive test results. Now sure even with the vaccine they’ll be protocols and concerns, but likely not a the level they are now.

I’m not saying I’m completely in favor of a lockdown since there is also a long list of reasons not to do one. All I’m saying is that if the NBA does decide that it’s their best option, that it might not be so bad for the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s definitely something to consider.