Halo

The Pelicans playoff aspirations have fallen by the wayside, lying in a ditch beside the ailing bodies of players like Jrue Holiday, Ryan Anderson and others. Disappointment is in the air, so fans will have to turn their attention to the little things, rather than the high of a postseason berth.

And that's okay—the Pelicans are a young, talented team working through growing pains. The skill development of young players is as important for the remainder of the season as the results of the games. There's no guarantee that head coach Monty Williams and his players will all return next season, and based on reports that circulated around the trade deadline, the front office could be active again this offseason.

According to John Reid of The Times-Picayune, Williams is acutely aware of the difficulties of this season and provided a lens through which to view the rest of the year:

We’ve been dealt a heavy hand this year and we’re not just trying to make the most of it, we’re trying to finish this season strong. We can’t change the past and we can only move forward. We just got to keep fighting and play a lot better than we’ve played.

New Orleans' preseason goals may be out of reach, but there's plenty left to fight for.



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