Why Zion Williamson, Derik Queen’s Pelicans will ‘bust through’ losing ways in 2026

The New Orleans Pelicans are enduring another difficult season, sitting at a dismal 8-26 after a recent loss to the New York Knicks. For most teams in such dire straits, the news would be one of dysfunction, finger-pointing, and an inevitable rebuild. However, interim head coach James Borrego sees a young squad on the verge of a breakthrough with Zion Williamson and Derik Queen, not a breakdown.

Borrego’s assessment starts with the heart and cohesion that often separate contenders from also-rans.

“I love our compete factor, where this team is at, how much they care, and are trusting one another,” Borrego began. “We competed (against the Knicks), and that’s all you can do. You just keep pounding at that door. Keep knocking. Just keep knocking, and we’ll bust through it.”

It’s the kind of optimism that might sound hollow from a coach trying to spin a losing season, but Borrego’s words carry weight when you examine what’s happening beneath the surface in New Orleans. The Pelicans aren’t losing because of effort or chemistry. No, this baby-faced Big Easy bunch is losing because of execution in crucial moments, the kind of late-game mistakes that young teams make before they learn how to win. Those are correctable problems.

“We cleaned up the boards (against the Knicks), which is significant,” added Borrego. “I think we’ve found something here (with Looney). We’ve just got to build on it and figure out how to close the games, like the Phoenix games. In the previous five-game winning streak, we’d figured things out to close a little bit better.”

Undeniably, despite their record, the Pelicans have shown flashes of genuine competitiveness in December. They recently put together a five-game winning streak that demonstrated what this team can be when things click. The issue hasn’t been their ability to compete for three and a half quarters; it’s been their inability to finish what they start.

“There are some things down the stretch execution-wise where we have to be better,” Borrego sighed. “We were trying to execute something down the stretch, and it just did not go our way.”

This is where the optimism for 2026 becomes tangible. Borrego’s Pelicans are still putting together the pieces and are finally finding some success.

“Sometimes it’s simply making a shot. Bottom line. Sometimes it’s execution, sometimes it’s a little bit of both, and you need a stop,” Borrego explained. “You need something down the stretch. We’ve had some good looks that didn’t fall, but the boards were huge tonight and (Looney) was a big part of that. Just having another vet presence out there, that keeps us all calm, and he communicates great.”

Still, the All-Star resume-based reason to believe in a potential breakthrough in 2026 comes down to Zion Williamson.

When healthy and engaged, Williamson remains one of the most physically dominant forces in basketball. Thankfully, according to Borrego, the team’s longest tenured player is thriving.

“(Williamson) has been fantastic. His energy on both ends of the floor, his rebounding, his defense, he looks fresh to me. He is hungry; he looks engaged,” Borrego pitched. “Nothing but positives to say about Z. He has been fantastic.”

This cannot be overstated. For years, questions about Williamson’s conditioning, commitment, and durability have overshadowed his undeniable talent. When he’s been on the court, he’s been spectacular, but the “when” has been the problem. If Williamson has truly turned a corner, if he’s genuinely locked in physically and mentally, the entire trajectory of this franchise changes.

The 25-year-old’s presence changes how defenses have to approach the Pelicans, creates easier opportunities for teammates, and provides the kind of go-to scoring option every competitive team needs in tight fourth quarters.

Borrego’s door metaphor captures the moment perfectly. The door the Pelicans keep knocking on won’t stay closed forever. And when it finally swings open in 2026, don’t be surprised if Zion Williamson and Derik Queen are the players kicking it down.

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