NOLA’s “keep fighting, keep believing” mindset ahead of Mardi Gras 2026.
Entering 2026 of the defeated New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in a familiar, albeit uncomfortable, position. However, despite sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, there is no whiff of surrender at the Smoothie King Center. According to the interim coach James Borregoa resolute sense of resolve hangs in the the air around Zion Williamson and Derrick Quinn.
Despite the daunting climb ahead, the team is singular focus continues to struggle in the NBA playoff conversation.
“That’s our mindset right now. We’ve been in this place before,” Borrego noted. “We’ve found a way out of it. We just have to keep plugging away, keep cutting, keep working. There’s not a lot of time to practice here, so it’s going to be shooting and shooting. It’s a busy month. There’s not a lot of breaks here.”
Borrego alluded to the unique challenge of New Orleans along with a busy schedule. Mardi Gras celebrations will effectively shut down the team’s home base for a month, requiring a busy stretch of travel. Beginning with a Jan. 6 showdown with Luka Doncic’s Los Angeles Lakers, which will be a raucous finale to a four-header day, the Pelicans (8-28) will embark on a 12-game road trip against just six home games.
They’ll board a plane for Atlanta right after the Lakers game, a fitting start to a busy schedule that offers little room for error or refinement behind the scenes. Tactical adjustments, however, are secondary to cultural ones. Faced with mounting losses and a grueling future, maintaining team spirit is Borrego’s most pressing priority.
“The first thing is to stay together, to keep our heads up, to keep fighting. That’s the biggest thing,” Borrego insisted. This group has not dropped the sword, it cannot drop the sword. We have to keep fighting, keep believing and get back to work tomorrow.”
In a Western Conference where the bottom of the playoff picture remains fluid, the Pelicans understand that a modest surge could quickly change the conversation. Margins are thin, the calendar is harsh, and the environment will be anything but calm over the next month.
2026-01-03 17:58:00
