With 82 NBA games on the horizon, New Orleans residents are once again making the necessary preparations to completely ignore another season of Pelicans basketball.
“Uh, again?” said Mid-City resident John Landry as he blocked a number from the Pelicans ticket sales office. “Didn’t they just have a season?”
The Pelicans finished the preseason with an impressive 3–1 record, raising expectations among the small but dedicated group of residents who were aware the preseason had begun.
The team capped off its exhibition schedule with a thrilling 107–106 victory over the Washington Wizards, a game that briefly threatened to generate public interest before officials confirmed it did not count.
“I think we surprised a lot of people,” said new head coach Jamahl Mosley. “Especially the people who didn’t know we were playing.”
Mosley, hired to bring a fresh approach to the franchise, has emphasized defense, accountability, and the importance of convincing New Orleans residents that the Pelicans are still an active NBA organization.
The team’s preseason success has also raised concerns that the franchise may be peaking several months ahead of schedule.
League experts have pegged the Pelicans as the team to beat — over and over and over again — this year, as the franchise looks to extend its streak of convincingly advancing to the NBA offseason.
“There’s a lot to like about this team,” said NBA analyst Adam McCreary. “They’ve got young talent, veteran leadership, and an organization that has really mastered the process of making summer vacation arrangements before Memorial Day.”
Newly appointed Executive Advisor Jordan Dumars, son of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars, expressed confidence in the team’s direction, noting that the franchise has assembled a promising roster capable of competing with almost anyone on NBA 2K27, provided their opponent is unfamiliar with the controller.
“I played 10 games last week, and the team really showed up and showed out,” Dumars said. “The new ProPLAY animation technology is fire. I think we’ve got something special here.”
Meanwhile, franchise star Zion Williamson is looking forward to another opportunity to prove what the Pelicans can accomplish when everyone is healthy, a hypothetical scenario that remains popular throughout the organization.
“I believe in this team and what we can do,” Williamson said, glancing down at a team-provided talking points list. “It’s going to be an exciting year with a lot of basketball, so be sure to purchase your 3-game, 10-game, 12-game, half-season, or full-season ticket packages today by visiting w-w-w dot New Orleans Pelicans dot com. Flip page over.”
Williamson then turned the page.
“If asked about injuries, timelines, or visible limping, please refer all questions to the communications department. Thank you.”
The Pelicans will officially tip off the 2026–27 regular season with their first home loss Wednesday, October 21, against the Indiana Pacers at the Smoothie King Center.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., giving residents plenty of time to make other plans.