Has it only been a year since the New Orleans Pelicans were the darling of the NBA? Just last October the Pelicans found themselves in an enviable position, the hottest young commodity around the league. Anthony Davis was the en vogue pick to win the MVP, Alvin Gentry was going to unlock AD’s full potential, and routine trips to the playoffs were on the horizon.
Before the season began last year New Orleans was ranked no lower than 11th in the NBA Power Rankings I tracked. They finished the season ranked between 25th and 27th.