The New Orleans Pelicans have learned some hard lessons through this early 2024-25 NBA season. At the time of writing, they're firmly entrenched at the bottom of the Western Conference at 3-6, currently in the 14th seed. They've been perhaps the most injury-ridden team in the league, with only the Philadelphia 76ers with a legitimate argument against them, but that doesn't change the fact that they've lost a handful of games that they should have won 4.
They've lost twice to the Golden State Warriors without Stephen Curry. They've also dropped two against the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers, giving them the majority of their three wins so far.
Their wins have been nearly as unimpressive as their losses. One was a fourth-quarter comeback against the Blazers. Another came in their season-opener against the Chicago Bulls, another bottom-dweller. Their most impressive win by far was their 125-118 victory over the Indiana Pacers which they managed without Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy III. Coincidentally, the Pelicans have something to learn from the Pacers that could significantly boost their title odds.
The Pelicans need to find a unique identity like the Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are far from the most talented team in the NBA, and they weren't any closer to that title last season either. Despite that fact, they made a shocking run to the Eastern Conference Finals, upsetting the Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks along the way.
Sure, they had a ton of injury luck throughout last year's playoffs. Giannis Antetokounmpo was sidelined for their entire series against the Bucks, and Damian Lillard missed two games. Then, against the Knicks, they only had to go against Mitchell Robinson once and OG Anunoby three times in a seven-game series.
But, it wasn't just about the injuries. Since the beginning of the 2023-24 season, the Pacers have gone 8-3 against the Bucks and 5-6 versus the Knicks, despite being arguably less talented than those teams. Last season, they also managed to go 2-3 against the eventual champion Boston Celtics, 2-0 against the Dallas Mavericks, 2-2 against the Los Angeles Clippers, 2-1 against the Miami Heat, 2-0 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and 2-1 against the Philadelphia 76ers. It's not that they're necessarily better than any of those squads, but they were able to rack up a ton of impressive wins against stronger teams, including in the playoffs, due to their unique style of basketball.
Indiana plays at a blazing pace under Head Coach Rick Carlisle, with a lethal and relentless attack led by star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. They finished with a 47-35 record, secured the sixth seed, and ran to the Conference Finals despite fielding one of the worst defenses in the league, having allowed 118 points per 100 possessions.
So while many of their opponents were better than them on paper, they simply couldn't keep up in Indiana's track meet-style games. That carried on into the postseason with the Pacers notching the highest offensive rating in the playoffs at 120.1.
This is something that the New Orleans Pelicans should emulate. There's almost no chance that the Pels can be the most talented team in the league this season. Rather than try to fight a losing battle by playing into a traditional style of basketball where New Orleans is destined to run into teams better than them, they need to try to find a unique angle to catch their opponents off guard.
I'm not necessarily saying that New Orleans needs to play faster, although that certainly wouldn't hurt. The Pelicans have a funky roster this year, one without much reliable center play but with a surplus of switchable wings when they're fully healthy. They also employ one of the most difficult players to guard in the NBA in Zion Williamson, as he's too quick for traditional big men but too strong for perimeter forwards to try to contain.
The Pelicans have played a lot of small-ball this season out of necessity to mixed results. They shouldn't abandon that strategy, though, even if it leads to lumps along the way. They need to master this style of play and maximize their small lineups, as there's a good chance that New Orleans could deploy a small-ball unit that'll present a real problem for any opponent — one that could even upset some teams in the playoffs.