NEW ORLEANS – As the New Orleans Pelicans head into the All-Star break with a lowly 15-41 record, most of their fans would love to skip past the next few months and start preparing for the offseason.
But there are still some crucial checkpoints this team has to reach before finally putting the 2025-26 season in the rearview mirror. Overall, this season has been a massive disappointment. However, there have been some important developments that New Orleans needs to carry into 2026-27.
The Pelicans will be one of the few teams in the final few weeks of the season that aren’t focused on playoff positioning or lottery odds, as they traded away their 2026 first-round pick. Over the final 26 games, the main priority has to be internal growth.
It’s all about building something now that can help the team win next season. There are several areas where New Orleans could pull that off.
Let’s look at five looming questions that’ll await the Pelicans once they return from the break:
Can Zion stay healthy?
As always, Zion Williamson’s availability is at the top of the list for any Pelicans discussion attached. One of the few silver linings for New Orleans this season has been Williamson playing more than he has most of his career.
The two-time All-Star has played in 40 of his team’s 56 games this season, including the last 30 games, the longest streak of his career. His numbers aren’t as dominant as they’ve been in the past, but his presence has been consistent — and there’s nothing more important for this team.
“It’s a lot of the extra work I’ve been doing with my trainer, Kris Chrisp, and the Pels, as well,” Williamson said Tuesday about his improved health. “I think that extra work and the focus on my body have done a lot and allowed me to play this many games consecutively. At the same time, I’ve got to give respect to the team for trusting me to play that amount of minutes and allowing my minutes to still grow. I’ve been real happy about that.”
Coming out of the All-Star break, the Pels need Williamson to be on the floor and attacking with the same level of aggression from the last few weeks. It doesn’t matter if he averages 25 points per game or if he’s closing games as the No. 1 option on offense; he just needs to keep doing what he’s done over the last two months: be available.
As long as he’s healthy and producing, it provides some added clarity to an already murky future in New Orleans.
Can Queen and Fears finish strong?
Coming into this season, there was nothing the Pelicans needed more than to go 2-for-2 with their 2025 lottery picks, Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen.
Although the criticisms surrounding the draft-night trade with the Atlanta Hawks to get Queen remain as loud as ever, there’s no denying that the Pelicans found two serious building blocks with Fears at point guard and Queen at center. They’ve been prominently featured in the rotation most of the season, and they’ve each gone through their ups and downs while adjusting to the NBA schedule.
Although Fears was recently sent back to the bench after starting 44 of the team’s first 46 games, he’s responded well to the abrupt change and is starting to show signs of maturation with the cerebral parts of his game.
His decision-making process has slowed down. He’s finding more open shooters in the flow of the game. He’s gaining a better understanding of when and how to push the pace at certain points in the game. As this season winds down, Fears needs to become more comfortable operating as the conductor of the offense.
When Queen is in attack mode, he’s one of the most dynamic centers around, but his production has dipped considerably over the past month.
Since Jan. 1, he’s averaging only 10.6 points and 4.4 assists. It would be nice to see him come back from the break and be that downhill threat who puts opposing bigs on their heels.
Either way, Fears and Queen finishing strong and showing some growth within their respective games would provide a big boost for New Orleans heading into the summer.
Can James Borrego keep building?
There still hasn’t been much clarity on New Orleans’ plans for a new full-time head coach, or on how much James Borrego fits into those plans. But even with the uncertainty surrounding his future, Borrego — who was named interim coach after Willie Green was fired 12 games into the season — has done a commendable job of getting this group to consistently buy in as they lay the foundation for the future.
James Borrego is 13-31 as the Pelicans’ interim coach. (Matthew Hinton / Imagn Images)
Borrego provides a lot of what this team needs as a spokesman in front of the cameras, as a big personality players can get behind and as a creative mind who can find ways to utilize the team’s offensive weapons.
The front office already has a few names in mind that they’d like to bring in for interviews once the season is complete. Borrego will most likely be among that group if he continues to push the Pels in the right direction.
If he can get the Pelicans to keep playing a competitive brand of basketball over the final month of the season, that will only help his candidacy. And if he can earn the potential endorsement of a few important figures on the roster, it may be enough to sway what the front office ultimately decides to do.
Will Murphy keep letting them fly?
Trey Murphy III has been one of the most accurate 3-point shooters in the NBA since he started getting consistent playing time in 2022.
The threat Murphy provides from the outside — with or without the ball— is an essential part of the 25-year-old’s offensive identity. As his scoring burden increases, so should his volume of outside shots, and that’s beginning to become the case.
Since Christmas Day, Murphy leads the NBA with 10.6 3-point attempts per game. He’s had 10 games with at least five 3-pointers made, and he’s converting at a 38.7 percent clip.
As the season winds down, it’ll be important for Murphy to find more ways to get shots up from the outside, even when he’s at the top of opposing team’s gameplans. The more Murphy gets up those 3-point looks, the more dangerous his overall offensive game becomes.
Over the final 26 games, there will be no such thing as too many 3-pointers for Murphy. Let ’em fly.
How much will Dejounte Murray play?
One important development for the Pelicans that went under the radar nationally after the trade deadline was injured point guard Dejounte Murray practicing on a limited basis for the first time in over a year.
The former All-Star ruptured his right Achilles tendon on Jan. 31, 2025. During his rehab process, Murray has expressed repeatedly on social media that he feels like he’s in amazing shape, and he’s looking forward to showing people he can still play at a high level after the injury.
Murray went through his first limited practice with the team on Sunday, and the plan is to increase his workload after the All-Star break. If everything goes well, there’s a chance he could be back in the lineup before the end of the month.
If that’s the case, what will he look like? How much can he contribute? Will he be bought in enough to convince the front office he can still be part of what this team is trying to build next season? Can he play well enough to turn himself into a trade asset? He is under contract next season for $32.8 million, and he has a player option in 2027-28 for $30.8 million.
It’ll be fascinating to see how much he can do and how well he plays once Murray returns from the biggest injury of his career.