2. New Orleans Pelicans
We’ll keep this short and sweet. The Phoenix Suns have never met the New Orleans Pelicans in the postseason. The Pellies have that same underdog vibe about them that the Suns would’ve had if they had been able to hang on for the West’s final playoff spot. Plus, they have Anthony Davis, the next monster-in-the-making.
It’s also worth noting that the Pelicans brought Suns fans quite possibly their most memorable moment of the 2013-14 season when the Dragon started breathing fire to the tune of a career-high 40 points. That performance had US Airways chanting “MVP!” in a way they hadn’t done since Steve Nash played there.
As the eighth seed in the playoffs, it’s highly unlikely the Pellies advance past the first round. They’re already down 2-0 to the Golden State Warriors, Tyreke Evans isn’t 100 percent and Monty Williams isn’t playing Ryan Anderson for some reason. But even with all of that, New Orleans kept both games pretty close and will be a tougher out than most were anticipating.
That makes them easier to root for as underdogs. There’s literally no playoff history between these teams and the Brow is spectacular to watch. The Suns were lucky to dodge the bullet of having to pay Eric Gordon the major contract they offered him once upon a time, but it’s also easy to cheer for him since you have to feel sorry for him with all the injury problems he’s had.
Next: No. 1