With the 2024-25 NBA schedule out, fans and experts are trying to guess how many games the New Orleans Pelicans might win by looking at things like rest days and travel time.
That’s interesting, but we still don’t know who will be on the Pelicans’ roster when the season starts, so it’s hard to predict what will happen later on.
The Pelicans kick off the season at home on October 23, playing against the Chicago Bulls at the Smoothie King Center. In their last five home openers, the Pelicans have won two and lost three, including a victory against the New York Knicks last season.
It’s important for the Pelicans to start strong, but that’s been a challenge for them. Over the past five seasons, they’ve only won 16 out of their first 50 games combined. Under their current coach, Willie Green, the team has started each season with 10 wins and 20 losses in his three years, including a 4-6 start last season.
However, the Pelicans have managed to win their first two games in the last two seasons. If Coach Green can make it three in a row, he’ll be the first Pelicans coach to do that since Byron Scott did it from 2006-2008.
The Pelicans really don’t want to lose their first game because when they’ve lost the season opener, they’ve gone on to lose the second game six times in a row. Only once in recent years (in 2021-22) have they made the playoffs after starting the season with two losses.
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| Date | Opponent | Last Season | vs. Pels |
| Oct. 23 | Chicago Bulls | 39-43 | 2-0 |
| Oct. 25 | at Portland Trail Blazers | 21-61 | 0-3 |
| Oct. 27 | at Portland Trail Blazers | ||
| Oct. 29 | at Golden St. Warriors | 46-36 | 1-2 |
| Oct. 30 | at Golden St. Warriors | ||
| Nov. 1 | Indiana Pacers | 47-35 | 1-1 |
| Nov. 3 | Atlanta Hawks | 36-46 | 1-1 |
| Nov. 4 | Portland Trail Blazers | ||
| Nov. 6 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 48-34 | 1-1 |
| Nov. 8 | at Orlando Magic | 47-35 | 2-0 |
The New Orleans Pelicans will play seven different teams in their first 10 games of the season, facing the Portland Trail Blazers three times and the Golden State Warriors twice.
These early opponents had a combined record of 284-290 (.494) last season, and the Pelicans went 8-8 against them. Among these teams, three made it to the playoffs last year, all from the Eastern Conference: Indiana, Cleveland, and Orlando.
Last season, the Pelicans had one of the best defenses in the league, ranking sixth with a defensive rating of 111.9. This season, their defense will be challenged by six of the top 50 returning scorers, including stars like Donovan Mitchell, Stephen Curry, and Trae Young.
New Orleans’ new front court, which includes rookies Yves Missi and Karlo Matkovic, along with veteran Daniel Theis, will face some tough big men like Nikola Vucevic (CHI), DeAndre Ayton (POR), and Evan Mobley (CLE).
Offensively, the Pelicans are strong, with four of the top 50 scorers from last season: Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum. They also have valuable contributions from Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, and potential scorers off the bench like Matt Ryan and Jordan Hawkins.
Another advantage for the Pelicans is that many of their early opponents struggled defensively last season. Teams like Chicago, Portland, Indiana, and Atlanta were among the worst in the league in defensive rating, while only Cleveland and Orlando had strong defenses.
The NBA has given the Pelicans a fairly balanced and manageable schedule to start the season, so they have a good opportunity to get off to a strong start.