Can the New Orleans Pelicans Succeed This Season?

The 2025-26 NBA season will begin on Tuesday, October 21. For the New Orleans Pelicans, this will be a new season full of hope. But can the Pelicans succeed this upcoming season? It’s possible, but it might be a stretch.

New Orleans Pelicans’ Keys to a Successful Season

The New Orleans Pelicans’ keys to a successful season starts with the team’s young core that helped them win 49 games two seasons ago — and nearly earn the No. 6 seed — which remains intact. Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy, and Herb Jones all suffered injuries last season, limiting the trio to a combined 103 games. However, if Williamson, 25, Murphy, 25, and Jones, 26, return to full strength, the trio’s presence can help the Pelicans ignore the negative national predictions that’ve been made ahead of the upcoming season.

Pelicans’ Outlook Entering a New Season

The New Orleans Pelicans’ outlook entering a new season appears to be a mixed bag, but we’ll see what happens. The Pelicans’ season can spiral out of control if the Pelicans see anything similar to the injury-plagued season last year, leading to a 21-61 record for the team’s worst mark in 20 years.

The Pelicans’ moves this offseason can make a major impact this season. The Pelicans brought in two veterans, Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey, both of whom can replace some of the offense that CJ McCollum brought to the team’s lineup.

The Pelicans gained experience, rebounding, and paint defense by signing Kevon Looney, a former Golden State Warriors teammate of Poole’s and the Pelicans’ oldest player at 29. In addition, New Orleans took Jeremiah Fears at No. 7 and Derik Queen at No. 13 in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Final Thoughts

The New Orleans Pelicans will take a step in the right direction if they return to the NBA Playoffs. If the Pelicans return to the playoffs, their status as a bottom-tier team would start to fade away. The Pelicans’ roster has game-changing talent. It’s just that the Pelicans need to re-establish the course they were on when head coach Willie Green won 36, 42, and 49 games, respectively, in his first three seasons in New Orleans.