The New Orleans Pelicans didn't-soar as high as they wanted. In fact they came crashing down rather quickly in the NBA postseason.
Last night, the Pelicans' season ended disappointingly when they were swept out of the 2024 NBA Playoffs by the No.1-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder looked to be in complete control throughout the series, and despite playing them close throughout Game 4, last night's game and the series was never in doubt, leaving New Orleans to figure out what next during the offseason.
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Pelicans and Zion Williamson's Requiem
Things were looking up for the New Orleans Pelicans this year.
Zion Williamson played his healthiest season as a pro, playing 70 games, and the team won the most games in the franchise since the 2008-09 season at 49.
A competitive Western Conference and some bad losses would have them fall into the NBA Play-In instead of matching up to a top-five team in the West right away.
Still, many have wondered what the Pelicans can do in the postseason with a healthy Zion Williamson on the roster.
All that came crashing down when Zion Williamson, who had scored 40 points against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, went down with a hamstring injury during the Pelicans' Play-In game.
They managed to slip past the Sacramento Kings to take the No.8 seed. However, without Williamson the Pelicans' chances of doing anything substantial in the postseason was put into question. This was evident as OKC was just too much for the Pelicans leading to them getting swept out in the first round.
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Brandon Ingram Struggles in the Big Easy
Brandon Ingram was a big part of the Pelicans playoff run in 2022, but ended up being a liability on the court for their series against the Thunder.
Ingram struggled to get it going throughout the series against the Thunder's versatile defense.
He failed to score over 20 points in the series through wingman Lu Dort's defense, making Ingram uncomfortable throughout all 4 games.
An abysmal postseason performance and an underwhelming regular season would make it hard for the Pelicans brass to justify paying Brandon Ingram the big money he desires.
Ingram, who has a year remaining on his deal, opted to forgo negotiating a contract extension with the Pelicans last summer.
Reports revealed that the Pelicans would likely have to make the tough choice between Williamson and Ingram at some point.
Both of them are the biggest stars on the team, the idea was to pair the young wing with Zion Williamson, making them a dynamic pairing in New Orleans.
But after five years the team has seen little success with the pair and the Pelicans' talented wing depth may make Ingram expandable.
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Pelicans Reliance on Zion Williamson
Despite the disappointing ending, the future for the Pelicans is still bright, and this season may have been a glimpse of what it can be like moving forward.
Zion Williamson is still among the best players under 25 on the court.
They have a young roster that can quickly run the West alongside the Thunder, Nuggets, and Timberwolves.
This may bear Zion Williamson's health as a significant factor moving forward, as the New Orleans Pelicans will go as high as Zion will go.
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