Here's why the Pelicans can be even better next year
The Pelicans had a fantastic season. They made the playoffs, then gave Golden State a somewhat legitimate scare (the first three games were competitive) in the first round.
Their franchise player, Anthony Davis, just turned 22 years old and is already one of the most dominant athletes in the world. The future certainly looks bright. Here's SB Nation's Liam Boylan-Pett with a few more reasons why:
"The Pelicans are likely to keep their core players intact, and each of their players will need to improve. Davis just keeps getting better and better and is a serious threat to win the MVP next year. The future for the Pelicans' role players is bright, too: no one on this year's roster was older than 30."
There are question marks, like Eric Gordon's player option (which he's likely to pick up) and Omer Asik's unrestricted free agency, but the greater issues stretch beyond anything New Orleans can control.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will get Kevin Durant back, and young, hungry teams like the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves could make an unexpected surge forward. The pressure is on New Orleans to get past the first round next season, but very little in the NBA is guaranteed. And even less is easy.
(h/t: SB Nation)
Photo Credit: Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images
