It was announced back in early July that the New Orleans Pelicans would be part of West Group B for this year's addition of the Emirates NBA Cup. After advancing to Vegas in the first year of the NBA Cup, the Pelicans weren't as lucky this past season. Finishing dead last in their group last season with a record of 1-3, the Pelicans will get a chance at redemption, although their path to success is going to be extremely tough.
The Pelicans group B includes the Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Clippers.
New Orleans' first matchup will come against the Clippers in Los Angeles on October 31st.
Their second game will come on November 14th against the other LA team, the Lakers, in New Orleans.
The two LA matchups will be followed by a trip to Dallas, where they'll take on the Mavericks on November 21st.
Then the Pelicans will round out group play against the Grizzlies on November 26th at home.
The Clippers and Mavericks matchups will show how good the Pelicans really are
Although both the Lakers and Grizzlies are still really solid teams, they aren't nearly on the level I suspect the Clippers and Mavericks to be on next season.
Both these matchups present a real test for the Pelicans' offense, as Dallas and LA both have elite defensive personnel.
The Clippers had the third-highest defensive rating last season behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic, yet they have improved their defensive talent even more.
By swapping Norman Powell for John Collins, Kawhi Leonard will no longer have to play power forward, as Collins will slot in there. This gives the Clippers even more size alongside Ivica Zubac, who anchored their defense last season.
For Dallas, General Manager Nico Harrison has been trying to build a defensive juggernaut, which is why he traded away Luka Doncic. With talent like Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Cooper Flagg, Derick Lively, Naji Marshall, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and Klay Thompson, the Mavericks are going to be a special team defensively.
With the added atmosphere we've seen NBA Cup games have and the defensive excellence both these teams have, the Pelicans' projected high-scoring offense will be tested early in next season.
New Orleans has built up its offense this summer with the additions of Jordan Poole, Jeremiah Fears, and Derik Queen to surround an already stacked group featuring Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, and Dejounte Murray. So these two NBA Cup matchups could be their first test.