The New Orleans Pelicans own the NBA’s longest active winning streak (four), are 13-4 in their last 17 games and recently moved into the No. 5 position of the Western Conference standings, but the club’s improvement dates back far beyond a mere short-term span. Over the course of the entire 2023-24 regular season, New Orleans (39-25) ranks fourth in net rating, behind only Boston, Oklahoma City and Minnesota. Since Dec. 1 – which not coincidentally was sixth man Trey Murphy’s season debut – the Pelicans boast the league’s sixth-best record at 29-16, as well as its third-best net rating. When CJ McCollum is in uniform this season, the squad is playing at a .667 clip, winning 32 of 48 games. No matter how you parse the numbers, when New Orleans has been near full strength, it’s looked like a factor in the West. The Pelicans are just 2.5 games behind the fourth-place LA Clippers, even though the Clippers themselves have been red-hot, winning 33 of their last 45 games.
New Orleans’ extended excellence has pushed the Pels into the thick of what promises to be a highly compelling West race, with the five teams directly behind them in the standings trailing by margins of between two games (Phoenix) and 5.5 games (Golden State). With just over a month left before the 82-game campaign concludes April 14, what will the stretch run look like for the Crescent City and the rest of the West? A breakdown of a couple of the biggest remaining questions:
Is homecourt advantage in Round 1 still doable?
Not long ago, this question seemed like a pipe dream for any West team outside of Oklahoma City, Denver, Minnesota and the Clippers, because those four clubs seemed to have separated themselves by creating a distinct “tier” atop the standings. For the Pelicans, the short answer to whether a top-four seed is now possible is “yes,” but with one major caveat: Friday’s home game vs. the Clippers is virtually a must-win for that to happen. LA (41-22) holds the aforementioned 2.5-game edge on NOLA (39-25), but Friday’s matchup in the Smoothie King Center is almost worth three wins to the Pelicans, because beating the Clips would hand them a defeat, while also wrapping up the tiebreaker (NOLA leads the season series 2-1).
Minnesota (44-21) is trying to overcome what will be an extended injury absence of Karl-Anthony Towns, but has a 4.5-game cushion over New Orleans. Of note from a potential playoff-matchups standpoint: It’s also possible the Timberwolves and Clippers could swap positions at 3-4, with Minnesota only two games in front of LA. The Wolves are just 2-4 in their last six games.
Can the Pelicans remain in the top six?
The most important bottom-line objective for New Orleans over the next five weeks is to earn a top-six seed, thereby avoiding the play-in tournament (the Pelicans were a No. 9 seed each of the last two postseasons). A current fifth-place status means they need to finish ahead of four of the five teams directly behind them in the standings (Phoenix, Sacramento, Dallas, the Lakers, Golden State). Here’s a brief look at each club:
5, NEW ORLEANS 39-25 (2 games ahead of Phoenix)
Most difficult remaining stretch: Over a four-game span March 26-April 1, the Pelicans host Oklahoma City, Milwaukee, Boston and Phoenix.
Most important remaining games: April 1 vs. Phoenix; April 7 at Phoenix; April 11 at Sacramento.
Tiebreakers: 0-1 season series vs. Phoenix (2 games left); 4-0 season series vs. Sacramento (1 left); 2-2 season series vs. Dallas (division record will determine tiebreaker); 1-2 season series vs. LA Lakers (1 left); 1-1 season series vs. Golden State (1 left).
6, PHOENIX 37-27 (2 games behind New Orleans)
Most difficult remaining stretch: Over their final 10 games of the regular season, the Suns do not face any opponent with a losing record. In fact, nine-game-over Sacramento has the worst record among that group. Four of the final six games are against either the Clippers or Minnesota.
Most important remaining games: April 1 at New Orleans; April 7 vs. New Orleans; April 12 at Sacramento.
Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: The Suns lead the season series 1-0, with the two April meetings remaining.
7, SACRAMENTO 36-27 (2.5 games behind New Orleans)
Most difficult remaining stretch: An early-April four-game road trip stops in New York, Boston and Oklahoma City.
Most important remaining games: March 26, 29 vs. Dallas; April 12 vs. Phoenix.
Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: The Kings have lost the season series, trailing 0-4 (with an April 11 matchup to play in California).
8, DALLAS 36-28 (3 games behind New Orleans)
Most difficult remaining stretch: Later this week, the Mavericks face Golden State, Oklahoma City and Denver over a three-game span between Wednesday and Sunday.
Most important remaining games: March 13, April 5 vs. Golden State; March 26, 29 at Sacramento.
Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: The Mavericks split their season series 2-2. Dallas has a slight edge in division record (8-5) over NOLA (9-6). The Mavs can clinch that by going 3-0 in remaining matchups against Houston (twice) and San Antonio.
9, LA LAKERS 36-30 (4 games behind New Orleans)
Most difficult remaining stretch: The Lakers do not have any lengthy multi-game stretches against quality/healthy opponents, but their final April homestand brings in Cleveland, Minnesota and Golden State.
Most important remaining games: March 13 at Sacramento; March 16, April 9 vs. Golden State.
Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: The Lakers lead the season series 2-1, visiting the Crescent City for Game 82 on April 14.
10, GOLDEN STATE 33-30 (5.5 games behind New Orleans)
Most difficult remaining stretch: Starting Wednesday in Dallas, the Warriors play seven above-.500 opponents over an eight-game span, capping the stretch with road games at Minnesota, Miami and Orlando.
Most important remaining games: March 13, April 5 at Dallas; March 16, April 9 at LA Lakers.
Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: The Warriors are tied 1-1 in the season series, hosting the Pelicans on April 12 in Chase Center.
Pelicans road trip recap, NBA standings with 18 games left | Pelicans Podcast
On the latest New Orleans Pelicans Podcast from Monday, March 11, 2024, Jim Eichenhofer and Gus Kattengell recap the Pelicans' successful 3-0 Eastern Conference road trip as the team sits 14 games above .500. They'll discuss how the Pelicans defense is a key reason the team remains above the NBA Play-In Tournament line with 18 games left in the 2023-24 NBA regular season.
Spoiler alert
Looking for a West team to root for over the next five weeks? Here are the out-of-contention teams that could most directly affect the postseason chase in a spoiler role:
UTAH 28-36
Keep an eye on the Jazz starting March 21. Among Utah’s final 13 games, it faces Dallas and Golden State twice apiece. Two of the Jazz’s last three road contests are in the Warriors’ Chase Center, including Game 82.
MEMPHIS 22-43
The Grizzlies have a pair of home games remaining against the Lakers – the West foe that ousted Memphis from the 2023 playoffs – and start a mid-March road trip with visits to Sacramento and Golden State.
SAN ANTONIO 14-50
One-third of the Spurs’ remaining games are against West teams currently in spots 5-10, including an April 5 visit to New Orleans, two home games each vs. Golden State and Phoenix, as well as a March 19 division battle vs. Dallas.