The Pelicans sit 11th in the West at 3-4, half a game behind the 10th seed, on a three-game winning streak. Whether that streak means anything depends on a guard rotation and a frontcourt that keep changing.
The Real Question
Three straight wins put the Pelicans at 3-4, 11th in the West and half a game behind 10th. They are two games back of sixth. The question for this season is not whether they can score. It is whether the same players will be on the floor from one week to the next.
The Case For
Through seven games New Orleans scores 113.7 per 100 possessions and allows 112.3, a net rating of 1.5. That is a small sample, but last season's net rating was minus-4.4, 21st in the league. Zion Williamson averages 21.3 points and has hit 42.9 percent from three. Saddiq Bey gives 15.6 points, Murphy 14.9, and Derik Queen 12.4 points and 7.7 rebounds. Pelicans.com says Karlo Matkovic is giving the team a big boost as a starter. Dejounte Murray was cleared on November 3 after an absence for personal reasons, and he has averaged 17.8 points and 6.0 assists in four games.
The Case Against
Last year ended 26-56, and Murray played only 14 games. Our count has 396 minutes lost to injury since opening night, 20th on a list of 30 teams where first is the most hurt. The worst single day cost 68 minutes. Today Jordan Poole and Yves Missi account for 36. Of five day-to-day listings on this club since October 20, three missed the next game. Murphy, who leads the team in minutes at 33.0 a night, picked up a knee listing on November 3. Murray's absence came with no details, and Missi's left knee has no timeline beyond November 8.
Tonight's Test
Utah comes in 1-6 with five straight losses and a net rating of minus-11.7. Jusuf Nurkic and Trey Alexander are out. This is the softest night of a busy stretch: Timberwolves on November 6, Clippers on November 8, Warriors on November 9 and Nets on November 11. That is five games in eight days, and it will test the depth the injury list keeps thinning.
The Answer
Healthy, this group is good enough to stay in the race. The offense is real, Williamson is producing and the defense is close to even. But the pace so far projects to 35-47, and the margin for missed games is thin. The season will be settled in the training room, and the first check is whether Poole and Murphy both suit up against a Utah team that has not won in a week.
Are the Pelicans on a winning streak?
Yes, they have won three straight and stand at 3-4, 11th in the West. They beat the Kings, Hawks and Grizzlies.
When is Yves Missi expected back?
Missi is out with a left knee injury and is listed to return November 8. He has played two games this season.
