The Pelicans' 13-game losing streak should have removed the team from any discussion of the playoffs. Yet at 12-24, they are only three games out of the eighth seed, though they would have to leapfrog half a dozen teams to secure that spot. In their last eight games, the Pels are 6-2 (should have been 7-1, not losing to the Warriors). Looking at the remaining schedule, if the Pelicans won two out of every three games, it would take them to late March just to reach .500, but that should be enough to make the tournament. While winning two out of three games the rest of the way seems a tall task, the schedule isn't insurmountable and it should be extremely manageable in the last 15 games of the season. It is possible that the Pelicans won't play a team with a winning record, except Philadelphia and maybe Orlando, during the final 15 games.
Certainly, the likelihood that the Pelicans make the playoffs is still remote. But with some luck on the injury front, with the return/debut of Zion, with the improved play of several key players, there is a window for the optimists among us to hold out hope of getting that last spot. After that disastrous stretch, it would sure make a great story if the Pelicans challenged for a playoff spot, whether they actually get there or not.