How high can the Pelicans climb in the Western Conference?

New Orleans Pelicans: The contenders and final predictions

There are three teams who will be picked to be at the top of the Western Conference next season:

• Los Angeles Clippers: This will all come down to health, as the Clippers have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, but are built around guys who have not stayed healthy much. Getting Kawhi Leonard back and adding John Wall should make the Clippers one of the teams to beat in the West, but they have to stay healthy.

• Phoenix Suns: I think the Suns could potentially implode next season, but they had the best record in the league, so they have to be mentioned in this group, especially after retaining Deandre Ayton. The Pelicans gave the Suns all they could handle in the playoffs and would love to get another crack at them next season, just in a later round.
• Golden State Warriors: The defending champs will run it back with their core with the addition of James Wiseman and another year of growth for their young guys. Until someone knocks them off, Stephen Curry and the Warriors are the team to beat in the West.

So where does that leave the New Orleans Pelicans? It’s hard to see the Pels knocking off the three teams above if they are healthy and at full strength, but they could easily be competing for the 4th seed next season.

I do think they will make the leap from that play-in group into the top-6 of the Western Conference, but as you can see, it is not going to be easy, as just about every team in the West got better this offseason.