The question is simple, but the answer is rather complex. The Pelicans have looked as good as any team in the West despite playing down to their competition a few times. We have seen great wins over teams like the Nets, Grizzlies, and the Clippers but we have some equally interesting losses that we have to put behind us. Are we contenders? At this point in the season, I would say pretty damn close.

        Head coach Willie Green has grown in a way that should make every Pelican fan happy. Has he been perfect? No, but even Pete Carroll passed when he had Beast Mode in the backfield that could have won him the Super Bowl. Why do I bring this up? Because Pete Carroll has been on the sidelines of NFL teams as a coach since 1984. Willie Green was born in 1981. Mistakes will happen, we are fortunate to see Willie grow in front of our eyes as he slowly is becoming one of the best coaching decisions the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans may ever see. Why such a focus on Willie?

        Put simply, coaching in sports matters more now than ever. We are seeing this around leagues left and right. The way Greg Popovich is still willing wins to be tied with the Anthony Davis and Lebron James led Lakers. The way Jackson State University is fired up to an undefeated season under HC Deion Sanders. Deandre Ayton wanted OUT, yet he is still going out and nearly averaging a Double-Double. I am driving in how important the coaching is because plain and simple, I think it is the key to this very talented Pelicans team going from first round exit, to legitimate contender and a seed closer to 1.

        Now to cover the talent, the insane talent that we have. CJ doing CJ things. BI becoming a 3 point specialist despite being the mid range sniper we came to know and love. Zion getting his feather touch around the rim back like it was when he spoiled the world with effortless scoring. On top of our "Big 3", we have a guy like JV who can easily fill in any scoring void if one of the 3 are struggling or out. Rotations, minutes for the right guys, and defensive rotations are all things that most fans have noticed as flaws. I would agree with this critique, and I admit very often I am a critical fan.

        I have watched enough New Orleans basketball to be skeptical, but even after losses like we had against the Lakers and our second matchup with the Grizzlies do not have me concerned. Previous years? I would have been livid and playing with the trade machine. I would have been armchair coaching and sofa managing to make myself feel better through the misery this team has delivered. Not this year, not this team. After watching them absolutely fight into the Play-In Tournament to give the Phoenix Suns absolute hell. All of that we saw AFTER the Pelicans went 3-16 to start the season. This is not the same coaching staff, front office, or attitude I have seen in the past and for that reason, I am unbothered by a bad game here or there.

        Considering the coaching upgrades, the players keeping their heads up, and our talent taking a step up across the board. We have a few guys off the bench that I truly believe could be no question starters on even some of the teams with winning records. I don't want to lose anyone, and I have not felt that way in a long time for the Pelicans. Graham has been great in his shooting guard role and has taken a step forward with on-ball defense. Jose is just constantly giving the team the spark they need. Trey "Trigga" Murphy III turning into a dunk contest and 3-Point contest contestant in front of our eyes. Larry Nance Jr. giving us that stable veteran presence on the court with an emphases on defense and protecting the rim. Dyson Daniels showing us he is worth every word of praise he has received since draft day. Herb Jones showing why he is elite taking one of the leagues most efficient scorers from a 52% average to a 33% average.

        Just last year we had Jaxson Hayes starting at the 4, this year we have Zion and Trey ahead of him. Last year we had Coach Garrett Temple in the rotation getting heavy minutes and even starting 16 games for us. Last year we had Devonte Graham in the starting lineup as a primary ball handler for nearly half of our games. This year we have CJ before the deadline, Dyson and Jose sharing those minutes Graham would have dominated. We are deeper, we are more talented, we are more mature. We are somehow a drastically better team than we were last year let alone years prior to that. So the answer, are the Pelicans contenders this year? The homer in me says YES. The basketball fan in me says we have a better chance than a lot of guys, I seriously like our odds against most every team in the West in a 7 game series. My vote is a Pelicans/Celtics NBA Finals with both teams 100% healthy. No matter what, I think anything but a first round exit should be considered a huge win for this young team.

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