Offseason discussion in the NBA often revolves around the teams that make the splashiest free-agent acquisitions or the boldest roster moves, but this summer the New Orleans Pelicans have maintained the core group that reached the Western Conference playoffs in 2014-15. Despite making few changes since July 1, that hasn’t stopped the Pelicans’ stock from rising from a national perspective, partly due to the projected impact many believe new head coach Alvin Gentry will make.
In a pair of recently-released 1-30 NBA power rankings from national Web sites, New Orleans (45-37 last season) was elevated to the No.