The New Orleans Pelicans ended 14 games under .500 last year, but the 2014-15 effort should see them vault above the break-even mark.
That is a significant improvement, even though it’s as much a statement about the franchise’s rotten luck a year ago as anything else. Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday missed huge parts of the year with knee and back injuries, respectively. Anthony Davis and Eric Gordon lost time as well.
Better fortune on the injury front, alongside the massive inclusion of Omer Asik in the center, should propel the Pelicans forward as they grow into a group worthy of Davis‘ existence. This season marks a developmental milestone for the organization along with The Brow.
The Pelicans must now move themselves into the postseason conversation though not a championship-caliber team:
Sean Highkin of ProBasketballTalk writes:
Whether they have enough to actually get there’s a different conversation, and it’s difficult to point to one team out of last year’s playoff harvest that is likely to fall out. But if Davis is as good as he is going to be and everyone else remains relatively healthy, they have got a opportunity.
The Pelicans are constructing a skyscraper, and it will probably be sensible to get in on the ground floor.
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