The New Orleans Pelicans haven’t shown up to play in the playoffs.
Willie Green’s team is down 0-3, and while not having Zion Williamson on the court was obviously a huge blow for them, they haven’t even competed thus far.
Granted, the Oklahoma City Thunder were the No. 1 seed for a reason and they also deserve plenty of credit, but Brandon Ingram’s play has left a lot to be desired, and CJ McCollum has also been fairly inconsistent.
That’s why Charles Barkley simply couldn’t take it anymore.
Following their blowout loss in Game 3, he looked completely done with them, adding that they didn’t even deserve to go to Cancun (via NBA on TNT).
Chuck’s had it with the Pelicans 💀 pic.twitter.com/hko6mQY8kN
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 27, 2024
Of course, Barkley is an unapologetic guy who doesn’t mince his words about anything, so this was right on point with him.
All jokes aside, the Pelicans going out like this is fairly disappointing.
This is a team that has been used to playing without Zion for most of his career, and they have two legitimate 20+ PPG scorers to pick up some of the slack.
The Thunder have outplayed them, and Mark Daigneault has outcoached Willie Green; it happens.
What cannot happen is that the other team outhustles you at home in a crucial postseason game.
Also, the saddest part about this is that, as great a season as they had, it’s become painfully evident that they simply cannot trust Zion Williamson to stay healthy, let alone build their entire offense around him.
NEXT:
Zion Williamson Reveals If He Will Return In Postseason