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    What does Dejounte Murray's injury mean for the Pelicans in the NBA West?
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    What does Dejounte Murray's injury mean for the Pelicans in the NBA West?

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    Dejounte Murray, the versatile All-Star point guard who was the coveted acquisition of the New Orleans Pelicans, broke his left hand in the season opener, ESPN reported.

    Murray, acquired by the Pelicans in an offseason trade with the Atlanta Hawks, used the hand to block a fall late in the fourth quarter in his team's 123-111 win over the Chicago Bulls. He remained in the game and the problem did not appear to be serious until early Thursday morning when news of the injury broke.

    The setback presents an early challenge for Murray and a Pelicans team already struggling with other injury issues.

    How long will Dejounte Murray be out for?

    Tests conducted early Thursday morning confirmed that Murray had suffered a fracture in his left hand, which would sideline him “for an extended period of time,” according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

    According to the Cleveland Clinic, each hand contains 27 bones, and the severity of a broken hand depends on which bone or bones were broken. Murray will most likely need to wear a splint or cast for several weeks while the bones heal. According to the Cleveland Clnic, most broken hand injuries take one to two months to heal.

    If we go by that, the most conservative schedule would have Murray back playing basketball in late December, about 28 games into the season.

    What does this mean for the Pelicans in the Western Conference?

    Honestly, it's a hard blow. Murray was brought in to stabilize the Pelicans' play at point guard and relieve the scoring pressure from Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.

    However, the West is burdened and the margin of error is rather low. Last season, New Orleans finished seventh overall (49-33), earning a spot in the play-in tournament. The Pelicans lost their first game to the Lakers, but then defeated the Kings and advanced to the first round of the NBA playoffs. Their stay was short; The No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder easily defeated New Orleans.

    The good news for the Pelicans is that this injury occurred in the first game of the 2024-25 season, early enough for New Orleans to correct course upon Murray's return. Assuming health, however, the Western Conference expects to have at least twelve teams seriously capable of competing for playoff spots.

    Who will step in while Dejounte Murray is injured?

    The Pelicans have several options. They could slide CJ McCollum into the starting point guard spot, although Murray was acquired in part to allow McCollum to return to his more natural shooting guard role. McCollum shot 9 of 19 from the floor on Wednesday night, scoring 23 points and adding five assists and two boards.

    Further complicating matters is that Trey Murphy III, a versatile winger who can split time between defenseman and forward, is out with his own injury, a hamstring injury.

    The other option New Orleans has is to use backup point guard Jose Alvarado in Murray's place, allowing McCollum to stay at 2-guard. Alvarado was questionable for Wednesday night's game because of a knee injury, but played nearly 13 minutes and made one of three shots from the field – with all shots coming from three-point range. He finished the game with three points, three assists and one steal.

    Alvardo is known for being a pesky defender, often lingering in the backcourt undetected by offensive players before pouncing for a steal. However, his offensive skills are nowhere near Murray's.

    Last season, Murray averaged 22.5 points, 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game for the Hawks.

    How did Dejounte Murray hurt his left hand?

    The injury occurred late in New Orleans' 123-111 win. With 2:21 left in the game and the Pelicans leading by 12 points, Murray made a 3-pointer from the top of the key before being fouled. As he fell to the field, he braced himself with his left hand and landed awkwardly on it.

    Murray then needed help getting up, although he clearly favored his left hand and did not put pressure on it. The problem didn't appear to be serious at first, as Murray hit two of three free throws and would stay in the game. He continued to use his hand to dribble and even grabbed a rebound in the minutes immediately following the injury. With the victory finally secured, coach Willie Green cleared the bench a minute before the end of the game.

    Murray, who missed practice time before the opening game due to a family emergency, finished the game with 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. like he did,” Green told reporters after the game.

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