Basketball is alive in the city of New Orleans and if you live in Louisiana you should be paying attention. The New Orleans Pelicans are in the NBA Playoffs in a heated series against the Phoenix Suns and the series is tied 1-1. And with the playoff games coming back to Louisiana all eyes need to be on this team.

With the series shifting to New Orleans, the basketball world will shift its focus to the boot. The Suns who are the number 1 seed with point god Chris Paul are facing a difficult situation. Paul's running mate Devin Booker will be out 2 to 3 weeks which will most likely be for the rest of the series. It will be hard for Phoenix to replace what Booker gives them. He is their finisher and someone they rely on to score heavily. And with Chris Paul in his older age, it will be a lot harder for him to get it done alone. With that in mind, the Pelicans now have a window to achieve something not done often.

The Pelicans have a shot at being the 6th 8th seed to beat a 1 seed in NBA history. It all begins with game 3. The Smoothie King Center is sold out for both game 3 & game 4, so the crowd will be lit. The question now is, can Brandon Ingram and the team step up to the plate.

I believe the answer to that is yes. Brandon Ingram has arrived. In his last playoff game, he dropped a career-high 37 points. In the words of Willie Green Brandon Ingram is the truth. And with the arrival of CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram has been unlocked. He has figured out how to get to his spots with ease. He knows now when to pass and when to shoot but more importantly, he found his confidence. And with that confidence, it has spread throughout the team. Now with the world watching it's time for New Orleans to be seen as a basketball city as much as a football city.

However it's not just Brandon "John Wick" Ingram, it's CJ McCollum the vet who has come in and added stability. You have Jonas Valanciunas who is a double-double machine as a big man who adds stability to the paint. There are also the three rookies Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, and Jose Alvarado who all have bright futures. Those rookies are gaining the best kind of experience, playoff experience. With all those pieces the Pelicans are now in line to do something special.

This is the sustained success that executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans David Griffin discussed when he first was hired. This team no matter win or lose has hope for the future. However there is a chance for the Pelicans to beat the Phoenix Suns and move onto the 2nd round of the NBA Playoffs where let me tell you, they can win that round as well. However, this all needs to begin with game 3. If the Pelicans can take control of the series then we can see a snowball effect out of this world take place in New Orleans and you should be watching.

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