There is no denying that the 2020-21 season could be described as a disappointment for the New Orleans Pelicans.
Despite Zion Williamson reaching his first All-Star game and the improved play from Lonzo Ball, New Orleans is headed to the lottery for a third straight season.
Before the season started, ESPN had projected Stan Van Gundy's squad to rack up 39 wins, good enough for sixth in the Western Conference. Instead the Pelicans finished below .500 and failed to qualify for even the NBA's expanded play-in tournament.
The season-ending injury to Williamson derailed any hopes for a play-in push over the final weeks, but New Orleans' inconsistency over the first five months of the season was what put the Pelicans on the outside looking in to begin with. After a 4-3 start, New Orleans failed to get back above .500 at any point in the season.
Now, with Williamson about to enter his third season without a playoff game under his belt, the offseason focus shifts to restricted free agents Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and a league-high five draft picks in July, as David Griffin & Co. try to build around their franchise superstar.