Will the New Orleans Pelicans have Zion Williamson available for the NBA Playoffs? Opinions differ on the star big man’s return to the lineup. Three years ago, the Pelicans drafted Zion Williamson with hopes of the Duke star leading them to playoff glory. They’ve made it to the postseason for the first time in his
New Orleans Pelicans
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Of all the shocking trends we’ve seen so far in the first round of the playoffs (and there have been more than a few) the New Orleans Pelicans splitting
The New Orleans Pelicans return home, looking to take a 2-1 series lead over the Devin Booker-less Phoenix Suns with a Game 3 win on Apr. 22. The Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans first-round series is officially tied at one game apiece. Phoenix, the reigning Western Conference champions, took Game 1 by the score
Chris Paul has had the worst luck in playoff games refereed by Scott Foster, and last night his luck did not change. The Chris Paul, Scott Foster playoff curse continues. Last night, Paul added another loss for playoff games he has been in that were refereed by Scott Foster. The New Orleans Pelicans beat the
Despite leading by 10 points entering the fourth quarterback, the Clippers blew their double-digit lead to the Pelicans. The NBA is a game of runs, and the Pels were lucky that their surge was best saved for last. Despite holding a 15-point lead of their own in the second quarter, the Pelicans answer with a
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The Hawks used a balanced effort to knock off the Hornets last night, with six different players scoring in double-figures and five players knocking down multiple 3-pointers. They’ll face
With the start of the playoffs just a few days away, it’s time to hand out some awards for the 2021-22 NBA season. Amazingly, we are less than two weeks away from the end of the NBA season, which means it’s time to get to work on selecting 2021-22 award winners. I, of course, do
The Pelicans won’t entertain Zion Williamson trade offers unless he forces their hand. But if he does, the New York Knicks should be ready to pounce. Let’s say this off the top – the Knicks need to stay the course and continue to build through the young guns and the draft. They have a collection
After defeating the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, the New Orleans Pelicans updated their Twitter bio in a savage way. Despite the return of Anthony Davis and a resurgent effort from LeBron James, the Lakers fell short against the New Orleans Pelicans. With the loss, the Lakers fell one game out of the play-in
Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images A Ben Simmons trade is a foregone conclusion, but as the 76ers’ options dwindle we’re digging deep to look for other fun possibilities. The 76ers are eventually going to make a Ben Simmons trade — that much has seemed certain for weeks. But exactly what they’ll get and where he’ll
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – APRIL 14: Head coach Stan Van Gundy argues a call to referee James Williams #60 during the second quarter of an NBA game against the New York Knicks at Smoothie King Center on April 14, 2021 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. The Los Angeles Lakers have been slowly rolling towards chaos since fairly early in the season but the intensity has definitely picked up. Per 538, their odds of making
Pelicans center Willy Hernangomez credits his success to his family: his parents and siblings, his Spanish NBA mentors, and his New Orleans teammates. “Las cosas en equipo. Las cosas en familia. Saben mucho mejor.” Willy Hernangomez has tasted victory in a way few other professional athletes ever have. Willy wasn’t the first person to win
The action kicked off early with a handful of big trades days before the actual NBA Trade Deadline. Here are all the latest rumors and analysis of every completed deal. We’ve already seen a few of the biggest dominos fall with Domantas Sabonis and CJ McCollum both traded on Tuesday. Here are the deals we’ve
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 30: CJ McCollum #3 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center on January 30, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of
Both the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans took bold swings head of the NBA trade deadline, but where will those moves ultimately take them? Both the blessing and the curse of building around someone like Zion Williamson is the urgency he places upon the present. A player this dominant, this soon with this kind of
The Whiteboard is The Step Back’s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. On Wednesday night, Stephen Curry put up his second-straight stinker, shooting 5-of-24 from the field and 1-of-9 from beyond the 3-point arc in a 17-point loss to the Dallas
You can learn a lot recovering from a serious injury. A lot about yourself. Your body. And about Zion Williamson. Zion Williamson broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot this summer. So did I. A lot of rumor and speculation have surrounded the basketball phenom’s absence from the court this season. As his team