[jwplayer FIj7yDkG]
Former 10-year NBA veteran Tim Legler said that he doesn’t blame the league for wanting to include the New Orleans Pelicans in the reported season restart plan.
Legler, speaking on “The Dan Patrick Show” on Thursday morning, called the 22-team restart plan a smart business decision by the NBA to include the Pelicans since No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson has emerged as one of the most entertaining players in the NBA.
The belief around the NBA was commissioner Adam Silver wanted to have several teams in contention to make the playoffs during a return. The Pelicans, and the five other teams included, were on the outside looking in prior to the season suspension but will now the opportunity to qualify.
“If you’re the league, you can’t blame them,” Legler said. “[The season suspension] has been devastating financially for the league what they’ve gone through so, certainly, when you have a guy like [Williamson] and is that entertaining, I think at the time when this thing shut down, he was as close to must-see TV as anybody in the league.
To include him, for a minimum of eight games, and potentially more than that, I think that’s a smart business decision for the league. Fortunately for them, the Pelicans were within striking distance that you can make a really solid argument that they should be included in this. Also, when you look at the strength of schedule the rest of the year with Memphis and New Orleans, I think Memphis was going to have a really difficult time with their schedule to hold these teams off and hold onto that last spot.
Last week, a report surfaced stating the NBA was working on plans to include the Pelicans in the return to play. Williamson has emerged as one of the most popular players in the NBA this season and would be highly marketable for the league should the Pelicans qualify for the postseason.
The Pelicans project to have a difficult timing qualifying for the postseason, based on a few variables, but having the organization in contention over the final eight games of the season should be a small victory for the NBA.
[lawrence-related id=18002,17992,17959]
[vertical-gallery id=14282]