With the NBA releasing all 30 teams' complete regular-season schedules on Thursday afternoon, most fan bases are getting even more excited for this upcoming season. However, that isn't the case for a lot of Pelicans fans.
Not only did the schedule makers give the Pelicans just two nationally televised games next season, but they also completely dropped the ball on CJ McCollum's return to New Orleans. However, neither of those errors is as bad as the way they handled Brandon Ingram's return to New Orleans.
Ingram is set to return to New Orleans on March 11th in the 67th game of the season.
Meaning from opening night to Ingram's return, fans will be waiting 140 days for the most anticipated game of the 2025-26 campaign.
BI spent 6 years in the Big Easy and was the co-star to Zion Williamson as they ushered in the post-Anthony Davis era. In his first year with the team, he won Most Improved Player and was named an All-Star, which propelled Ingram to become one of the fan base's most beloved players.
Despite battling injuries throughout the rest of his time in New Orleans, Ingram stayed a fan favorite, which is why so many were heartbroken when the former All-Star was traded to Toronto last season. Since that deal was made, fans have been patiently waiting for BI's return to NOLA, and now that wait gets longer.
Many people, including me, expected this return to be a nationally televised game early in the upcoming season. But that isn't the case, as the NBA decides to neglect the Pelicans once again by scheduling this game in early March.
We may not even see Ingram play in his return
I hate to be Mr. Negative all the time, and want to make it clear I'm not wishing injury on anyone, but Ingram's history suggests he may not be available to play his in return. Looking at the past 4 years, Ingram has consistently been battling with Injuries, which makes it possible that he may not even be able to play in his return.
Since the 2021-22 season, BI has only played in 182 of the potential 328 games he could have if healthy. This means Ingram has missed 146 games over the last 4 seasons.
This type of injury history is another reason why the NBA should've scheduled this game much earlier in this upcoming season. If history repeats itself, BI won't be around to make his return in March, and his return will have to wait for the following season.