Whether it was rookie Zion Williamson soaring to the rim for an alley oop, first-time All-Star Brandon Ingram racking up buckets, or New Orleans’ deep arsenal of shooters sinking the NBA’s fifth-most three-pointers, the Pelicans were never shy of highlight-reel material in 2019-20. For a talented but mostly inexperienced roster to make the difficult leap from YouTube favorite to playoff qualifier in the brutal Western Conference, however, that potential jump probably won’t be determined by SportsCenter dunks, or how often it can wow fans with spectacular plays.
During an unpredictable, roller-coaster 30-42 season, the Pelicans limped to a 7-23 start, won 21 of their next 34 games, then went a disappointing 2-6 in the Orlando bubble.