The New Orleans Pelicans play as part of the Southwest division in the Western Conference in the NBA. The team is owned by Gayle Benson, wife of the late Tom Benson. The team’s GM is Trajan Langdon and the head coach is Willie Green, a two-time NBA champion as an assistant coach in 2017 and 2018.
Due to hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans franchise relocated to Oklahoma City and this era started from 2005, with the team drafting Chris Paul with the fourth overall pick. In his third season, Paul led the New Orleans Hornets to the playoffs. They made the playoffs three times in his six years during his time there.
The team then drafted Anthony Davis with the first overall pick in 2012 who went on to become a franchise player. The team is now building around the likes of Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum, and will be hoping to make deep playoff runs in the coming seasons.
How many times have the New Orleans Pelicans made the playoffs?
The New Orleans Pelicans have made the playoffs nine times in franchise history as of March 2024.
The Pelicans first playoff appearance came in 2003 where they lost in the first round to the Philadelphia 76ers. In the 2007/08 season, New Orleans ended with a 56-26 record and won their first playoff series ever against the Dallas Mavericks in five games. Their last playoff appearance came in 2022, where they ended up losing in the first round to Devin Booker's Phoenix Suns.
New Orleans Pelicans Playoff Record
The Pelicans have a 22-33 record in the playoffs. They are ranked 29th in all-time playoff wins as of March 2024 ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves with 21 wins. This is mainly due to them being part of the modern expansion in the NBA. They were the latest addition into the league in 2002.
The Pelicans have only two playoff series wins under their belt, defeating the Mavs in 2008 and then 10 years later the Portland Trail Blazers in 2018.
Against the Dallas Mavericks in 2008, CP3 led the New Orleans Hornets to their first playoff win. Paul averaged 24.2 points, 12.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Meanwhile, Tyson Chandler averaged 7.2 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks and David West averaged 22.6 points, 7.4 rebounds with 1.6 blocks.
In 2018, against the Portland Trail Blazers, Anthony Davis led the Pelicans on both offense and defense to deliver the clean sweep. He averaged 33.0 points, 11.8 rebounds with 1.8 steals and 2.8 blocks per match. Meanwhile, Jrue Holiday averaged 27.8 points and 6.5 assists, and Rajon Rondo averaged 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 13.3 assists and ran the offense for the Pelicans, helping them deliver the knockout blow to the Trailblazers.
Number of conference championships won
The New Orleans Pelicans have not won any conference titles as of March 2024. They have lost in the conference semifinals twice.
Number of NBA championships won
The New Orleans Pelicans have not won an NBA championship as of March 2024. They will be looking to make a deep playoff run this season with all their players healthy and cause some upsets.
New Orleans Pelicans Last Playoff Appearance
The Pelicans last playoff appearance came in the 2021/22 NBA season, where they lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round in six games. They were missing the 2019 number one overall pick Zion Williamson due to an injury, dealing a major blow to their playoff hopes.
What is the biggest playoff series comeback in the New Orleans Pelicans history?
The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the first-round which was their first ever playoffs series win till date. Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler and David West defeated the 2006 NBA runners-up in a dominant fashion and made history for the New Orleans franchise.
FAQ on New Orleans Pelicans Playoff History
A. The New Orleans Pelicans have not been to the NBA Finals in franchise history.
A. New Orleans Pelicans rivalry with the Utah Jazz is a heated matchup which goes down to the wire because of their name history. The Memphis Grizzlies is also a fun rivalry due to Zion Williamson and Ja Morant.
A. No, the New Orleans Pelicans have not won an NBA championship yet.
A. The New Orleans Pelicans have won 22 playoff games as of March 2024.
