Alex Speers

And the bucks were like way higher than I was expecting.

And that's probably why.

Probably a big reason why.

So many guys shooting the ball well right now.

For my good, though, this week, I want to talk about the Pelicans and how high they might rise before the end of the season.

For all the talk about tanking over the last month, anti-tankers, they should be thanking their lucky stars that Joe Dumars made that trade.

Because if he hadn't traded for Derek Queen, we'd have another tanker on our hands.

Instead, we'd just have a bad team.

But they're definitely trying to win.

And they have some things working in their favor as of late.

So currently, Pelicans 18-42.

They've won three in a row, five of their last seven.

Okay, that's pretty good.

Big news this week for the Pelicans was the return of DeJounte Murray.

He started the last two games.

In his most recent game, team high, plus 16, 17-9 with four steals.

It was against the Jazz, but it's good to see him back, and he's already contributing.

Other good news includes the continued health of Zion, who has now played in 34 consecutive games, the longest streak in his career.

During this recent seven-game stretch, where they've gone 5-2, Zion is averaging 24.4 points per game on 64% shooting.

Another guy who's been giving them a ton lately is Sadiq Bey, averaging almost 23 per game while shooting 38% on almost eight threes per game.