The NBA released the full 2026-27 season schedule for all 30 teams, with the New Orleans Pelicans set to open this upcoming season on Wednesday, October 21, on the road in Indiana against the Pacers.
Your New Orleans Pelicans 2026-27 Schedule#Pelicans | @SeatGeek pic.twitter.com/EwlSHIX6AU
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) August 13, 2026
The Pelicans had a quiet offseason, returning 14 of their 15 players from last year's roster, with their one big change coming in the form of Jamahl Mosley taking over as the team's head coach. With a lack of movement and a coach fresh off three straight playoff appearances in Orlando, the expectation from the fan base is that this team will battle for a postseason berth.
So what better way to test that than by opening the season against a team that, last time we saw them, was one win away from an NBA championship?
A fun first test
The biggest question surrounding this matchup with the Pacers is whether Tyrese Haliburton will be able to suit up. According to a recent article written by Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star, Haliburton stated that he’s going to be healthy: "I am telling you I'm going to be healthy right now. I feel great. I'm doing everything. I'm playing pick-up pretty regularly at this point. I feel great. I will be ready for the season. If the season was today, I'd be ready,” said Haliburton.
That stings for the Pelicans, as with a healthy Haliburton the Pacers could be one of the top contenders out East. Now, compared to their 2025 NBA Finals team, there are some major changes, most notably the swap of Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin for Kelly Oubre Jr. and Ivica Zubac. These moves were directly tied to each other but present Indy with two big upgrades in key spots.
This matchup presents not only a tough first assignment for someone like Dejounte Murray, who I expect to be guarding Haliburton, but also New Orleans’ frontcourt. Between Zubac and Siakam, Yves Missi, who’s anticipated to start at the five alongside Zion Williamson, will have their hands full.
For Z, this is a great first game because he gets the chance to reestablish himself as one of the league's best four-man against a guy like Siakam, who has been at the top of the position for so long. All offseason, there has been hype building around Z’s body transformation, an improved pull-up game and an emphasis on maximizing his potential as a former No. 1 pick. I can’t think of a better test than seeing him try and attack a paint occupied by Siakam and Zu.
What will work in favor of New Orleans is that Indy doesn’t have any overly elite perimeter defenders to contain the offensive attack Trey Murphy III, Saddiq Bey, and Herb Jones can unleash on the wing.
Stylistically, this will be a fun test for the Pelicans. While it is expected that the Pacers will play slightly slower than they did with Turner replaced by Zubac, Hali will always look to push the pace. In 2025, Indy had the ninth-best offensive rating, making this a great opportunity for a defensive coach like Jamahl Mosley to show what he’s capable of.
All the talk about the Mosley hire has focused on the defense and how he transformed a Magic team that had, at best, meh defensive personnel into an elite defense. And with the Pelicans’ front office hoping he can do the same in New Orleans, opening the season against a team like Indy is an ideal test.
From a general standpoint, the Pacers aren’t the scariest team the league could’ve matched New Orleans up with on opening night. They are bound to have rust and some chemistry to iron out. However, they still will be a great test and set up an exciting opening night for Pelicans fans.
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