New Orleans Pelicans Face Grim Suggestion From Boston Celtics Analyst
The New Orleans Pelicans have been far from relevant in the past half-decade. Despite having the likes of stars such as Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Brandon Ingram over the years, the Pelicans remained on the fringes of a usually stacked Western Conference. Last result: Minnesota Timberwolves 132-126 New Orleans Pelicans (2026-04-13). Recent form (last 5): 1W-0D-4L (LLLLW, most recent first); lost the last 4.
What Happened?
The Pelicans received a grim suggestion from Boston Celtics diehard-turned-analyst Bill Simmons, who lambasted the team for being irrelevant. Simmons, an avid Boston Celtics fan, said in his podcast, "It's just never worked, and I'm not sure they should have an NBA team. I feel way differently about Portland." He added, "Even Memphis has proven that they can be a really awesome small-market franchise...I wouldn't say they should move either. New Orleans would be the one that I think you have to look at, unfortunately."
Why It Matters for New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans have never clicked in New Orleans. Simmons added that the franchise has never been successful there, despite having a good handful of fans. "You could blame the owners, you could blame the city, it's not a big enough market, whatever you want to say, but it's just never worked. And despite the fact that they have a good handful, I don't know how many thousand fans, I don't think the franchise has ever been successful there," he said.
What Comes Next?
The Pelicans franchise has made the playoffs 9 times in 24 seasons, compiling an all-time playoff record of 22-37. They have won 2 playoff series, never reached the NBA Finals, and have zero league championships. The last time they made the playoffs was in 2024. Pelicans general manager Joe Dumars was honest about the team's needs for next season during his end-of-season media availability. "I would add more toughness to this team. We have to be able to compete every night. We cannot get banged around, pushed around," Dumars said. "We have to be physical and compete every night. There were some nights we did it, but too many nights we didn’t compete at a high enough level for me. You can’t get past that in this league."
The Pelicans finished the past season with 26 wins and 56 losses, placing 11th in the Western Conference. The team still has the likes of Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, and Derik Queen to build their team around for next season.
