The New Orleans Pelicans Suddenly Look Like They Are Poised To Be The Cinderella Team Of The Western Conference Playoffs

Nathaniel S. Butler. Getty Images.

Seeing as how March Madness is on everyone's brain right now, I think we can all agree that one of the best parts of this time of year and this tournament is the Cinderella run that you know is coming. You know, the team that nobody may have been paying all that much attention to or that didn't really have a lot of hype surrounding them heading into the tournament is suddenly taking down the giants, causing chaos at every turn. It's part of what makes March Madness awesome. You may not know who it's coming from, but you know that at some point over the next few weeks we'll hear from that Cinderella team.

So last night while watching the Pelicans take down the Nets to win their 3rd in a row and move to 42-26, now just 0.5 games back of the sliding Clippers for a top 4 seed in the West, I had the following thought:

Are the New Orleans Pelicans about to be the Cinderella team of the NBA playoffs?

I mean think about it. When you hear about the "contenders" in the West, who do you hear about? Obviously the Nuggets, people believe in the defense and team construction of the Wolves and Thunder, you hear about how you have to watch out for the Clippers if healthy. Shit, you hear way more about the potential title chances of the 4 current Play In teams (DAL/PHX/LAL/GS) than you do the Pelicans. 

And yet, here they are. On the verge of a top 4 seed, they have more wins vs teams .500 or better than LAC, SAC, DAL, PHX, GS. More road wins than DEN, OKC, LAC, SAC, DAL, PHX, LAL, GS, and since the All Star break have been one of the best teams in the entire NBA

Offense: 116.6 (9th)

Defense: 106.7 (2nd)

Net rating: +9.9 (2nd)

Not only that, but Zion looks more and more like Duke Zion every time he steps on the floor recently

How about 23.7/6.9/5.7 on 57/33% splits since the break? Perhaps the biggest change in his game is how we're seeing Zion completely take over games in the 4th quarter by using his speed and strength, which at the moment is simply too powerful for defenses to handle. We're seeing a version of Zion where if you allow him ANY sort of runway, it's over for you. Knowing that, how exactly do you defend him? If you get too up into his airspace, he goes by you. If you give him space and dare him to shoot a jumper, he uses that space as a runway and goes by you. What exactly is the solve there?

In the playoffs, at the end of the day, things boil down to matchups. Do you have the matchup versatility to handle a wide variety of offensive schemes? Well, looking at the Pelicans roster and seeing as how they've not only been one of the best defensive teams in the league since the break, they also have a top 6 defense on the season, I'm going to say they do. They have good length all over the roster on both units, and they can throw a bunch of different lineups at you. Zion at the 5? They can do it. Play big? They can do it. Their versatility and depth are part of the reason why I think they can be a Cinderella team. Herb Jones for example is a legit All NBA First Team caliber defender. In the West, you're going to have to go up against some elite scoring wings, and being able to throw Herb Jones (who is also shooting 43.3% from 3) onto those matchups is a win for NO.

The Pelicans having a bunch of talent isn't exactly new, but what's new is their health. We haven't really seen what this team can do this time of year with all their guys healthy, especially Zion. That is not the case right now, and the results speak for themselves. 

Now, maybe you don't think the Pelican's playstyle will be all that effective once things slow down in the playoffs. They only rank 25th in 3PA for example. As we're seeing with the Suns, if you struggle to keep up with the basketball math, being super efficient from 2pt doesn't really matter. You have to be willing and able to let it fly from deep. I will say that despite the 25th ranking in volume, the Pelicans do rank 5th on the season in 3P%, so it's not like they can't shoot 3P, they just don't do it all that often. It's actually very similar production to LAC/MIN/DEN in that regard, who are all teams many people, think can win the whole thing.

Think of how we might see the West playoff bracket shake out. Say the Thunder are able to hold onto the #1 seed and the Pelicans win their 4/5 matchup in RD1. Are we sure the Thunder are built to sustain the size of NO? So far they've split the season series, but I don't exactly love that matchup for OKC if both sides are healthy. Would it shock anyone if this current Pelicans team fulfilled their Cinderella destiny and took down a #1 seed? It shouldn't if you've been paying attention.

For years now all I've wanted to see is what this Pelicans group looks like in a playoff series healthy given all their talent and depth, and it does look like we're finally going to get it. 

All I'm saying is just don't be surprised if we suddenly look up and a team like the Pelicans are in the WCF, because the signs that it could be possible are staring you right in the face.