After another successful home stand — which included wins over the Nuggets and Spurs, the New Orleans Pelicans (10-7) are back on the road, and their three-game trip through the Eastern Conference begins in Philadelphia against the 76ers (12-7).
Prior to trading for Jimmy Butler, the 76ers were in a bit of a spiral, losing five straight games. Since freeing him from Tom Thibodeau’s grasp, Philly has gone 4-1 (3-1 with Butler in the lineup). Granted, it doesn’t appear they’ve flipped the switch to world-beater status though, as the victories came against below average teams (Jazz, Suns, Hornets), with none of the wins reaching double digits.