New Orleans Pelicans schedule: Next six games will determine direction

The New Orleans Pelicans are hoping some home love can get them turned around as they take on the San Antonio Spurs tonight in the Smoothie King Center.

The Pelicans (5-10) have started the season poorly but there are still plenty of reasons not to give up hope.

Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram look like foundational stars and there are a lot of games left to be played.

But hope will disappear quickly if the Pelicans can’t take care of business during a six-game homestand that could determine the course of the season.

The Pelicans are currently only 2.5 games out of the last playoff spot (if you count the play-in game) and only four games back from the 4th-seed Portland Trail Blazers, so it is not like it is over.

In fact, a good homestand could put the Pels right back in the playoff picture.

New Orleans Pelicans Schedule: 6-games at home

• San Antonio Spurs
• Washington Wizards
• Milwaukee Bucks
• Houston Rockets
• Sacramento Kings
• Phoenix Suns

The Pelicans will be favored in half of the six games, with winnable matchups against the Spurs, Wizards, Rockets, Kings and Suns.

Five of the six games are against teams who are ahead of the Pels in the standings (which is just about everyone in the West right now) so the Pels can make up ground if they can get a few wins.

The Pelicans have to take advantage of this part of the schedule

There will probably be some easier stretches in the second half of the season but the Pelicans have to take advantage of this homestand.

They have to come out of this stretch with more than a split, not only to build some confidence but to avoid falling too far behind teams like the Suns and Spurs.

If the Pelicans can win four of these six, they will be right back in the thick of things in the Western Conference and may have even leapfrogged a couple of the teams they are playing.

If the Pels lose four of six or worse, then they are going to have quite an uphill battle to get to the playoffs and may start keeping an eye on the lottery odds.

Either way, these next six games will tell us a lot.