Closing stretch will determine if Pelicans are NBA title contenders
Few teams are playing as well as the New Orleans Pelicans since the All-Star break. Their upcoming schedule will determine how seriously we should take them in the playoffs.
Per data from NBA.com, since the mid-season break, New Orleans is second in defensive rating (106.3) and has the West's third-best record (9-4). Opponents are shooting 43.7 percent, the worst rate in the league.
On Tuesday, the Pelicans defeated the Nets, 104-91, for their fifth double-digit win in their last eight games. New Orleans is 7-1 in that stretch.
Zion Williamson had the highlight of the night with an emphatic dunk on a lob from guard Naji Marshall, further indicating he's moved beyond injuries that curtailed his past two seasons.
This March, Williamson is playing some of his best basketball since entering the NBA. He is averaging 24.4 points on 63.3 percent shooting, 7.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
Not since the Chris Paul was on his rookie contract has New Orleans been such a factor in the Western Conference.
The Pels' current .617 win percentage would rank as the second-best in franchise history (2002-present), trailing only their .683 win percentage during the 2007-08 season. That year, New Orleans tapped out of the playoffs in the Western Conference semis after a bruising seven-game series with the Spurs.
With the playoffs in sight, this year's squad has everything it needs to go even further than the franchise did 16 years ago. However, we'll find out before the Pels first round series how much of a threat they'll be in the playoffs.
A gauntlet awaits New Orleans (42-26, fifth in Western Conference) over its final 14 games of the regular season, which could steel it for an elongated postseason run or signal a swift exit.
Per Tankathon, the Pelicans have the eighth-toughest remaining strength of schedule with only three games against teams with a losing record (Pistons, Spurs, Trail Blazers).
New Orleans' next two games are a back-to-back against the Magic (41-28, fifth in Eastern Conference) and Heat (37-31, eighth in Eastern Conference) on Thursday and Friday.
During a five-game homestand from Mar. 26 through Apr. 5, it plays Boston (54-14, first in Eastern Conference) and Oklahoma City (47-20, first in Western Conference), teams with the two best records in the NBA, as well as the Bucks (44-24, second in Eastern Conference), Suns (39-29, eighth in Western Conference) and Magic again.
Four of its last five are on the road, including games against the Suns, Kings (39-28, sixth in Western Conference) and Warriors (35-32, 10th in Western Conference).
The Pelicans end the regular season against the Lakers (37-32, ninth in Western Conference), who could have plenty to play for as they try to avoid the 9-10 play-in game.
Per Basketball Reference, New Orleans is projected to go 9-5 during its closing stretch and has a 44 percent chance of earning a top-four seed in the West.
Over their final 14 games, we'll learn whether the Pels best days are still ahead of them or if this is their peak.
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