New Orleans Pelicans rise in first installment of ESPN NBA Power Rankings

Training camp opens in just days for the New Orleans Pelicans. That must mean it is time to get some new power rankings! Marc Stein for ESPN came through early Friday with his training camp rankings and Pelican fans should be excited to see their team in the top ten.

Something tells me the Pels will enjoy looking at the Power Rankings every Monday more than the standings. Anthony Davis and the leaps at both ends widely expected under new coach Alvin Gentry mean New Orleans is likely to spend lots of time in our top 10 even if it can't move up much from No. 8 in the West.

While the Pelicans rank 4th in the five team Southwest Division they also rank 8th league-wide. Stein is not alone putting New Orleans in the top ten as John Schuhmann also had the Pelicans 8th in the summer edition of his rankings for NBA.com. In both sets of rankings the Pels are 7th in the Western Conference; only the Cleveland Cavaliers find themslelves in the top eight from the junior varsity conference.

Sound about right to you?