What was the New Orleans Pelicans’ top play of the season?

The New Orleans Pelicans’ season likely did not go the way many of us would have hoped, but that does not mean that it didn’t have many great plays and memories sprinkled throughout the league year.

In fact, just recently, the Pelicans’ Twitter page asked fans to vote on their top 5 favorite plays from the 2022-23 season. And now that the results are in, let’s see what plays fans most appreciated from this past season.

#5: Ingram No-Look Reverse Layup

Number five on this list comes from a late March blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets. In that play, Brandon Ingram ventures into the eye of the storm and manages to finish without making eye contact with the rim.

Fun fact: this game marked the first triple-double of Ingram’s career. He ended the game with 30 points, eleven rebounds, and ten assists.

#4: Ingram Poster Slam

Number four on the list also involves Ingram. However, this time his highlight isn’t so much about finesse as it is about force. Here, he back cuts Kawhi Leonard (who is trying to deny him the screen), receives a pass from Larry Nance Jr., and finishes at the rim with thunderous intentions.

Like with the Hornets game, this game against the Los Angeles Clippers also took place toward the end of the season and also ended in a Pelicans’ victory.

#3: Williamson Poster Dunk 

To see this clip, be sure to look at the tweet above. This is the first time (but not the last) that we see Zion Williamson on this list. And I’m sure poor Rudy Gobert would have preferred this never happened at all, as he was on the receiving of a powerful slam by Williamson.

While it took place in the third quarter, when you really think about it, that dunk ended up being the difference between winning and losing for New Orleans. The final score of the game ended up being 119-118, favoring the Pelicans, but who knows, maybe if Williamson doesn’t hammer it home like that, the Pelicans don’t end up pulling out the win.

#2: Murphy Block & Slam

While there seems to be some disagreement between the Pelicans’ Twitter page and the league’s scorekeepers as to whether or not that was a block or a steal (the league credited Trey Murphy III with a block while the tweet referred to it as a steal), there is no question about what followed the fabulous defensive play. The runner-up to the 2023 NBA Slam Dunk Contest more than lived up to his reputation with that one.

#1: Williamson Windmill 

We said that wasn’t the last you would see of Williamson. Not only was this dunk a jaw-dropping display of an individual’s physical ability, but it also represented arguably the highest point of the Pelicans’ season.

The unproven Pelicans had a chance to show their valor against the team that had the best record in the league in 2021-22 and eliminated them from the playoffs. And how did they respond? By beating them handedly for the world to see.