The New Orleans Pelicans roster is more talented than most people give them credit for. But is their best player good enough to lead them back to the postseason?

CBS Sports' NBA staff recently released their version of this season's top 100 players list. These always serve as a good reminder of what the outside view of the Pelicans roster is.

This time around, there are only two players who made the list. Veterans like Dejounte Murray and Herb Jones had been in this range before (Jordan Poole actually made it last year), but the basketball world is very wary about everything in New Orleans right now. Here is where the two Pelicans stars who did make it ended up:

This is a noticeable drop from last season for Williamson, who was previously ranked at No. 38. The reasoning provided by CBS Sports was that while he was healthier, he also posted career-low numbers in both points and rebounds.

While that is a fair take, there is also a reason for it. He remained great at what he did great (and bad at what he did poorly), but they have had to take some of the aggressiveness and volume off his plate to help keep him healthy. There is a trade-off, which does understandably drop some of his ceiling. 

This year, he has a chance to jump back into the top 50 by following through on actually adding a real mid-range shot or three-point shot to his bag. Extending his range from just at the rim would make him harder to defend, as well as win over a lot of his doubters.

Murphy being New Orleans' best player is not a crazy take at all. He is well-respected as one of the best shooters in the league, can rock the rim and can offer a little bit on defense as well. 

The wing was the centerpiece of many trade conversations this offseason as teams desperately tried to acquire him. He is viewed as a great complementary piece to winning basketball. The problem here is that he isn't a "complementary player." As clearly shown here, some believe him to be their best option. So where is the disconnect?

The biggest thing keeping Murphy from being in those conversations is the fact that he hasn't been a closer for the Pelicans.

Clutch time is defined by the NBA as the final five minutes of either regulation or overtime when the score is within five points. In those moments last year, Murphy shot 39.1% from the field and 30.8% from three. Both were far lower than his minute-to-minute production last year. And in games with those clutch moments, New Orleans went 11-26.

If Murphy can become a closer, he'll certainly take another leap in how he is viewed by the league.