The 16th season in New Orleans franchise history has been a mixed bag, featuring several team and individual highlights and a competitive record, but also a nagging feeling that some golden opportunities for the Pelicans to better their situation have been missed. As a result, New Orleans is at exactly .500 as the calendar flips to 2018 and holding on to top-eight status in the Western Conference. The good news is that there are three-plus months remaining in the regular season, plenty of time to achieve many of the team’s primary objectives, including a return to late-April basketball. With that in mind, here are a few important resolutions for the Pelicans to make in the new year:
Improve defensively.