The New Orleans Pelicans finished 11th in the Western Conference last season and it’s not clear if they have improved enough to better that mark next season.
The Pels have made some big changes to the roster and will have three new faces in the starting lineup as well as a new head coach.
Given that they are one of the youngest teams in the NBA, it would be easy to write next season off as another rebuilding year.
But the Pelicans need to start building a winner around Zion Williamson sooner rather than later, so can’t waste too many more seasons without an obvious path to improvement.
There are a lot of unknowns going into next season and the Pels could certainly outperform predictions, but they could also take a big step back if things go badly.
Here are three realistic team goals that will help them take the next step on their timeline for contention.
New Orleans Pelicans: Have a winning record in the Southwest Division
Last season, the Pelicans were just 18-24 against the Western Conference and 6-6 against teams in the Southwest Division.
If the Pels really want to climb the power rankings in the Western Conference, then they need to perform better against the teams in West, specifically the ones in their own division.
The Rockets are rebuilding and even younger than the Pelicans, so the Pels need to dominate them. The Spurs and Grizzlies are two teams the Pelicans will be battling for playoff spots and the Mavericks are the team they need to overcome.
Even though divisions are largely meaningless in the modern NBA, three of these teams were directly above the Pelicans in the standings last season, so if they want to improve in the West, it starts by winning in the Southwest.
New Orleans Pelicans: Identify the core around Zion Williamson
One of the most disappointing things about last season is that the Pelicans didn’t really learn anything about the core around Zion Williamson.
Going into last season the only player we knew for sure was part of the long-term plans with Zion was Brandon Ingram, and heading into next season not much has changed.
Is Jonas Valanciunas going to be the center of the future or a short-term rental?
Can Nickeil Alexander-Walker step up and be the third scoring option the Pelicans need him to be? Is Kira Lewis Jr. really going to be a contributor in the NBA? Can Naji Marshall and Trey Murphy III provide the defense and 3-point shooting the Pels need around Zion?
Can Devonte’ Graham thrive in a role off the ball?
These are all questions that must be answered next season, otherwise the Pelicans are just spinning their wheels again and will be starting from scratch in 2022-23, which happens to be the final year of Zion’s rookie contract.
Role players come and go, but the Pelicans need to establish a core of players around Zion so that they know what they are doing moving forward.
New Orleans Pelicans: Make the play-in tournament and play some meaningful games
The New Orleans Pelicans were obviously a flawed team last season and far from being a title contender, but it is still disappointing that they didn’t get to play any meaningful games down the stretch.
Getting playoff reps for your young players is crucial to their development, as they get to see exactly what it takes to win at the highest level in the NBA.
The Pelicans don’t really have any players with playoff experience other than Valanciunas, who is on the final year of his deal and may not even be part of the long-term plans.
The Pels blew their chance to catch the Spurs last season by losing their final four games and missing the play-in tournament, a fate they need to avoid next season.
It takes time to build a title team, and most superstars don’t win championships right away (ask LeBron James and Michael Jordan) but part of getting to that level is taking steps towards it each year.
Even if the Pelicans got spanked in the play-in tournament, they would at least be taking that next logical step towards contention.
It would be very disappointing if the New Orleans Pelicans finished another season without getting Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram some meaningful reps in a playoff atmosphere.
Until that happens, the Pels are just stuck in limbo and the rumors about Zion Williamson leaving are going to poison the well until he re-signs or forces his way out.
No one expects the Pels to win a title next season, but they have to take that step, as three years without Zion in the playoffs will represent a huge failure on the part of the front office.