Kevin Pelton and Chad Ford released their NBA Future Power Rankings last week, and the New Orleans Pelicans were positioned 18th on the list. Six other Western Conference teams finished lower, indicating the organization's future may be not as bleak as previously thought.
One year ago, the Pelicans franchise rated 12th, but that showing surprised some, including myself, considering a playoff run and other perceived good news came on the heels of a ranking of 13th in 2014. No matter the reasons, it looks like ESPN correctly predicted the need for lower optimism.