The New Orleans Pelicans have reasons to expect improvement. They also have plenty left to prove.

After a 26–56 season, New Orleans has added scoring help through Bennedict Mathurin’s reported two-year, $16 million agreement. The move gives the Pelicans another established offensive option as they attempt to return to postseason contention. Associated Press reporting

Pelicans preseason basketball is less than a month away 👀 pic.twitter.com/o3kqLtk3Tz

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) September 7, 2026

New head coach Jamahl Mosley faces the challenge of turning individual talent into dependable team basketball. Mosley’s introduction

From a Pelicans perspective, the Southwest Division offers both opportunity and a demanding measuring stick. San Antonio and Houston present major obstacles. Dallas and Memphis are changing, but assuming either will provide easy victories would be a mistake.

San Antonio: The Toughest Measuring Stick

The Spurs enter the season following an NBA Finals appearance and have added veteran forward Tobias Harris. His arrival provides another experienced frontcourt option around Victor Wembanyama. Spurs offseason reporting

For New Orleans, the matchup raises a direct offensive question: what happens when the first drive is taken away?

Attacking Wembanyama repeatedly without moving him or the defense is a difficult way to score. The Pelicans need to make him defend multiple actions, move the ball after penetration and convert open perimeter opportunities.

Zion Williamson’s strength can create advantages, but the surrounding spacing must allow those advantages to develop. Trey Murphy III’s shooting becomes particularly valuable when opponents can protect the basket with that much length.

The goal should be to force San Antonio into difficult decisions instead of settling for contested finishes against a waiting rim protector.

Houston: Physicality Plus Kevin Durant

A proper Rockets preview must include Kevin Durant. Houston’s roster also features Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and veteran addition Marcus Smart under Ime Udoka. Houston roster overview

That combination presents several different problems. Durant demands disciplined coverage, Sengun can punish poor interior positioning, and Thompson supplies size and athleticism on the perimeter.

For the Pelicans, the response begins with possession quality: fewer careless turnovers, stronger defensive rebounding and offensive actions that survive initial pressure.

Herb Jones can take a difficult assignment, but New Orleans cannot ask one defender to solve an entire matchup. Help rotations and communication must remain connected behind the first line of defense.

Houston is a useful test of whether Mosley’s team can compete when the game becomes physical and easy transition chances disappear.

Dallas: A New Coach and a Young Centerpiece

Dallas hired Dusty May to coach a roster built around Cooper Flagg. Mavericks coaching announcement

The Pelicans should see opportunity in facing a team adapting to new leadership, but they should also respect how quickly talented young players can improve.

Against Dallas, New Orleans needs to make experience count. That means controlling the pace, avoiding live-ball turnovers and executing late in quarters. Giving an energetic opponent easy points is a reliable way to erase a supposed talent advantage.

Flagg’s development also makes this an evolving matchup. The team the Pelicans face early in the season may look considerably more comfortable by the spring.

Memphis: A Reset With Something to Prove

Memphis traded Ja Morant to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. The Grizzlies also selected Cameron Boozer with the third pick in the draft. Morant trade reporting | Southwest draft recap

Those changes create a different challenge for New Orleans. The Pelicans must prepare for the current group rather than the familiar Memphis teams of previous seasons.

A rebuilding opponent still has players competing for jobs and larger roles. New Orleans should aim to win these games through better execution, not wait for youth to produce mistakes.

If the Pelicans want to climb the standings, protecting winnable games is essential. Repeated lapses against developing teams would undermine progress against stronger opponents.

Mathurin Adds Scoring; Mosley Must Solve the Fit

Mathurin’s agreement includes a player option, and he averaged 17.6 points last season. His production gives New Orleans another scorer to work into its rotation. Mathurin contract report

The basketball question is how to arrange the pieces. Zion, Mathurin and the Pelicans’ guards need clear responsibilities, while Murphy’s shooting must remain central to the offense.

Mosley should have options for staggering creators rather than relying on everyone to share the floor at once. One unit might emphasize pressure on the basket; another might prioritize shooting or perimeter defense.

The young frontcourt also needs defined jobs. Derik Queen and Yves Missi can contribute in different ways, but lineup choices must account for rebounding, interior defense and the space available for Zion to operate.

More scoring talent helps. It does not automatically produce a balanced closing lineup.

What Should Pelicans Fans Expect?

Our preseason assessment places San Antonio and Houston ahead of New Orleans. Competing for third in the division is a reasonable starting target for the Pelicans, with the possibility of challenging higher if health, shooting and defense improve together. That is an editorial projection, not a guaranteed finish.

A credible push toward the Play-In should be a more useful benchmark than declaring the team a division contender before training camp. Even a third-place division finish would still need to translate into enough wins against the wider Western Conference.

The signs to watch are concrete: fewer breakdowns, better defensive rebounding, dependable spacing and lineups that function when the initial offensive action fails.

Pelicans fans: Where should New Orleans finish in the Southwest—and which matchup will reveal the most about Mosley’s team?

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Pelicans’ Success Hinges on Mosley’s Development Staff