The Pelicans could be a deep sleeper in Spurs' own backyard

New Orleans has been one of the laughingstocks of the NBA for a while now, but, to their credit, they've built an interesting team for the upcoming season. The Pelicans can trot out a talented 10-man rotation that teams will have to respect.

Nobody expects this group to contend, but the Silver and Black weren't on anyone's radar last year either. I don't think they'll pull a 2025-26 San Antonio, but their individual talent sets up a real trap game waiting to happen for a Spurs team that plays them multiple times a year.

In all honesty, I can't say that I'll see them as a threat when the postseason rolls around. They're still the kind of lower-level nuisance worth monitoring, as they could take games off the Spurs during a regular season they could make truly special.

New Orleans can throw a lot of offense at teams

San Antonio knows what Dejounte Murray is capable of. He's had some ups and downs over the years since leaving Alamo City, but he can still be a problem when healthy. He's ready to go right now, and if that holds up, fans should expect the best version of the ex-Spurs playmaker. He's got a lot to prove.

Zion Williamson is a load for anyone, but the Spurs especially. They just don't have a guy anywhere close to strong enough to contain the ex-Duke star's explosiveness when he has it going.

Their personnel fit might hold them back. I'm not sure each piece works together well, but that remains to be seen, and Trey Murphy III, Jordan Poole, and the newly signed Bennedict Mathurin add enough of a scoring punch that teams will have to bring their A-game to slow it all down.

The Pelicans' defense could be their X-factor

They have guys who can play on the other end of the floor, too. Murphy, Herb Jones, Yves Missi, etc., are defenders. That's a lot of athleticism and length to create problems for opposing offenses, but the offensive and defensive balance will dictate how far they go.

San Antonio is a particularly difficult matchup for New Orleans because of the Wemby problem. He's exactly the type of player who exposes their size weaknesses. None of their main guys are even a solid seven feet tall.

But that doesn't mean they aren't dangerous to most teams in the West or that they're someone the Spurs shouldn't respect. If Murray stays healthy, Jeremiah Fears continues improving, and the scoring pieces fit together, New Orleans has enough talent to hang around the playoff race and potentially make life difficult for SA in the regular season.

That's a true sleeper. They won't win a title, but they'll be much more annoying than most people expect.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow