Western Conference · Southwest
ESPN standings data retrieved October 6, 2026. NBA comparisons use the completed 2025–26 regular season. Each upcoming fixture labels preseason or regular-season status.
New Orleans Pelicans2025–26 regular season
| Measure | Season average | League rank |
|---|---|---|
| STANDARD STATS | ||
| Points / game | 115.5 | 16 / 30 |
| Rebounds / game | 43.9 | 15 / 30 |
| Assists / game | 25.1 | 24 / 30 |
| Turnovers / game | 13.5 | 11 / 30 |
| Steals / game | 8.9 | 9 / 30 |
| Blocks / game | 5.2 | 9 / 30 |
| FG% | 46.6% | 20 / 30 |
| 3PT% | 34.7% | 24 / 30 |
| FT% | 78.4% | 14 / 30 |
| THE LAB MEASURES | ||
| eFG% | 52.7% | 27 / 30 |
| Turnover rate | 11.7% | 10 / 30 |
| Offensive rebound rate | — | — |
| Free-throw pressure | 0.284 | 8 / 30 |
ESPN team totals and game box scores checked October 6. NBA season averages and ranks use 2025–26; preseason game results are shown separately. Ranks are within the league, with ties sharing a rank; a lower turnover rate is better. Season offensive rebound rate needs opponent defensive-rebound totals, which this feed does not supply. A dash means unavailable. This game’s offensive rebound rate uses the opponent’s actual rebounds.
eFG% gives a made three its extra value. Turnover rate estimates the share of plays lost before a shot. Offensive rebound rate is the share of available offensive rebounds collected. Free-throw pressure is FTA/FGA. The calculations are (FGM + 0.5 × 3PM)/FGA; TOV/(FGA + 0.44 × FTA + TOV); OREB/(OREB + opponent DREB); and FTA/FGA.
ESPN’s 2025-26 standings snapshot, checked October 6, puts New Orleans Pelicans at 26-56. That profile contains 115.5 points scored and 120.0 conceded per game, a -4.5 average margin. The scoring average is 16 of 30 in this league snapshot. The negative margin makes the record a starting question. The team needs to show how it can produce more useful possessions than it allows. These are completed 2025–26 totals; 2026–27 preseason results are kept separate.
The next scheduled test is 
Oklahoma City Thunder on 2026-10-06. Our test is possession quality. Compare effective shooting, turnover rate, offensive rebounding and free-throw pressure; preseason rotation changes can distort all four. Look for repeated advantages through different lineup combinations before carrying a final margin into a regular-season forecast.
Article cutoff 2026-10-03
Last season 26-56 | 11th in the West | Missed postseason
2025-26 efficiency 113.3 offense | 117.6 defense | -4.4 net per 100 possessions
New Orleans finished 11th at 26-56 and missed the postseason. A minus-4.4 net rating reflected trouble at both ends. The Pelicans took a league-high 58 percent of their shots in the paint, yet their team conversion there was poor. Getting close to the basket and getting a useful attempt are different accomplishments.
Joe Dumars hired Jamahl Mosley and added Bennedict Mathurin, AJ Johnson and Trendon Watford. Mathurin supplies scoring and free-throw pressure. Dejounte Murray's return gives the existing group a more experienced organizer, while Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen enter their second seasons. Trey Murphy and Zion Williamson remain important offensive pieces around that developing foundation.
The front office has largely retained the core that produced 26 wins. That places a considerable burden on Mosley to improve a defense that allowed 117.6 points per 100 possessions and on the young players to become more efficient. Mathurin's ability to draw fouls helps, but does not by itself resolve paint congestion or lineup defense. Herbert Jones rediscovering his defensive impact would matter more than simply adding another scorer.
Projected finish is 12th in the West. Better organization and internal growth should make New Orleans more competitive, but the defensive evidence is still too weak for a playoff prediction. There is a plausible path into the Play-In race. It starts with a functioning five-man defense and ends with better conversion from the shots this team already prefers.
| Date / time | Sport | Matchup | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-06 7:00 PM CT | NBA | New Orleans Pelicans @ Oklahoma City ThunderStats & matchup analysis → | Preseason · neutral site |
| 2026-10-08 6:30 PM CT | NBA | New Orleans Pelicans @ Miami HeatStats & matchup analysis → | Preseason |
| 2026-10-14 7:00 PM CT | NBA | New Orleans Pelicans @ Dallas MavericksStats & matchup analysis → | Preseason |
| 2026-10-16 7:00 PM CT | NBA | Washington Wizards @ New Orleans PelicansStats & matchup analysis → | Preseason |
| 2026-10-21 7:00 PM CT | NBA | Indiana Pacers @ New Orleans PelicansStats & matchup analysis → | Regular season |
| 2026-10-23 8:30 PM CT | NBA | New Orleans Pelicans @ Utah JazzStats & matchup analysis → | Regular season |
| 2026-10-24 8:00 PM CT | NBA | New Orleans Pelicans @ Denver NuggetsStats & matchup analysis → | Regular season |
A matching published game video is not available in the verified archive yet.
