The New Orleans Pelicans were in a unique position when the NBA season was halted March 11: They weren’t exactly where they wanted to be in the Western Conference playoff race, but things were trending in the right direction. They were also about to compete in a set of potentially valuable games, both standings- and experience-wise.
It’s impossible to predict the fate of the final 18 games New Orleans (28-36. 3.5 games behind eighth-place Memphis) was supposed to play to cap its 82-game schedule, but Executive Vice President of Operations David Griffin noted Thursday that the Pelicans generated many encouraging and positive signs over their first 64 contests.