The New Orleans Pelicans are 4-14 and it’s not supposed to get any easier for them.
The New Orleans Pelicans currently sit at the bottom of the Western Conference, ranked 15th with a record of 4-14 after 18 games. They have a legitimate reason for their struggles, having faced more significant injuries than any other team in the NBA. At one point, seven of their highest-paid players were out of action, making it unrealistic to expect any team to perform well under such circumstances.
However, it hasn’t all been bleak for the Pelicans despite their disappointing start to the season. There have been some bright spots, such as the development of Brandon Boston Jr. Additionally, help is on the way: Trey Murphy III has returned after missing the early part of the season due to a training camp injury, CJ McCollum has recently come back from an adductor strain, and Dejounte Murray is set to play his second game with the team shortly.
There’s still ample time for the Pelicans to make a push for the playoffs. Based on statistical trends, they should expect better health from their roster moving forward. Unfortunately, it appears that they’ve faced injuries at perhaps the most inopportune time.
The Pelicans injuries may have already doomed their 2024-25 NBA season
There’s never a convenient time to be missing almost your entire team’s core. With Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones all sidelined for several weeks, the Pelicans were destined to struggle regardless of when these absences occurred during the season.
You might assume that having these injuries hit at the beginning of the season would be preferable to losing players mid-season or late in the year, as those injuries could disrupt momentum, team chemistry, and playoff aspirations. While that’s a valid point, the Pelicans really needed their players available during this crucial early stretch.
Reports indicate that New Orleans has already faced their easiest part of the schedule. Given that they compete in the Western Conference’s Southwest Division, the Pelicans knew they would face a challenging slate this year, contending with tough opponents like the Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs. If there was a “soft” segment of the season, this would have been it—and they’ve only managed a 4-14 record during this stretch.
According to Power Rankings Guru, the Pelicans had the seventh-toughest schedule through their first 18 games. From that perspective, a 4-14 record isn’t too shocking. However, their performance has left them with the second-toughest remaining schedule, trailing only the Sacramento Kings. Tankathon paints an even bleaker picture, rating their remaining schedule as the fifth-worst.
It’s fortunate that Dejounte Murray and the others are expected back soon, as the Pelicans will need all the support they can muster to finish the season strong. However, it may already be too late.
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