2018-2019 NBA Previews – Pelicans Odds
Looking for 2018 New Orleans Pelicans Predictions? We’ve got your back. New Orleans finished last season 48-34, finishing sixth in the NBA’s Western Conference. But their real season began when the playoffs tipped off, as they swept the three seeded Portland Trail Blazers despite being without superstar center DeMarcus Cousins, who was lost for the year because of a torn Achilles.
New Orleans Pelicans Season Preview
Head Coach: Alvin Gentry
2017-18 Record: 48-34
Pelicans Odds to NBA Title: +12500
Pelicans Odds to Win Conference: +6000
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NOLA ultimately went on to lose in the second round to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors, but despite the disappointing showing (and the loss of Cousins to those same Warriors in free agency), this team has plenty of reason for optimism that they can be even better this season.
New Orleans Pelicans Strengths:
You can’t start talking about New Orleans’ strengths without bringing up Anthony Davis right up front.
At 25 years old, AD is theoretically still getting better. We add the disclaimer “theoretically” because that’s a frightening thought.
Davis is already one of the league’s premier players, he’s continuing to expand his shooting range, he’s a dominant force at the rim on both offense and defense, he’ll undoubtedly be a top MVP candidate in 2018-19 and, quite frankly, he was one of the NBA’s best Unicorns before the term became a popular one.
Basically: He’s a freak of nature in the best way possible and he can lead this team to plenty of wins on his own.
Luckily for New Orleans, this team doesn’t have to rely on just AD this season.
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After losing Cousins last season, the Pelicans acquired Nikola Mirotic via trade from the Chicago Bulls. That move ended up being a Godsend, and the team is ready to see what he can do for the squad with a full year under his belt.
The Pelicans also brought on (during the offseason) Julius Randle. And you can’t forget about True Holiday, who has to be one of the most underrated point guards the league has to offer.
Yes, Davis is what makes this engine run and he’ll be the reason the team succeeds at a high level, should the Pelicans improve this year. But the depth of this roster can’t be ignored.
New Orleans Pelicans Weaknesses:
The year is 2018. And yes, we’re about to give Rajon Rondo credit for being a core piece on a competitive playoff team.
Times are weird, but that’s where we are.
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Rondo was huge for the Pelicans’ first-round success last season. “Playoff Rondo” was in full effect, but his departure for the Los Angeles Lakers has left New Orleans without a leader—not to mention a leader with championship experience.
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Despite this team having better depth than most realize, there are also a lot of question when it comes to the backups. For starters, the backcourt sans Rondo is now going to rely on the likes of Alfred Payton, DeAndre Liggins and Ian Clark to fill the gaps.
There’s also the fact that New Orleans is taking a chance on Jahlil Okafor, who is widely considered a bust at this point in his young career.
Bust is an appropriate word here, because there really is a boom-or-bust potential with this team that’s difficult to project. That makes New Orleans a tough bet, even though the optimism does exist.
New Orleans Pelicans Betting Prediction: 44-38
We’re not buying the optimism. That doesn’t mean this team is going to be bad, but improving upon a sixth seed will be difficult to do considering how competitive the West’s eight spots are going to be.
NOLA has been given an over/under wins projection of 45.5 entering the season, and while reasonable minds could justify 46 or 47 wins, we’re taking the under at this juncture.
2018 NBA Gambling
What do you think about our 2018 New Orleans Pelicans predictions? Please leave us a comment below telling us how you think they’ll do in the 2018-2019 NBA Season!
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