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

Dejounte Murray, the versatile All-Star point guard who was the prized acquisition for the New Orleans Pelicans, broke his left hand in the season opener, the team confirmed Thursday.

Murray, whom the Pelicans acquired in an offseason trade with the Atlanta Hawks, used the hand to brace a fall late in the fourth quarter of his team’s 123-111 victory over the Chicago Bulls. He remained in the game, and the issue didn’t appear to be serious until early Thursday morning, when the news about the injury broke.

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

How long is Dejounte Murray out?

The Pelicans said in an update Thursday that medical imaging after the game confirmed the left hand fracture and added that Murray will be out indefinitely.

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ESPN was the first to report the news.

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

Using that as a guide, the most conservative timeline would have Murray returning to basketball activity in late December, about 28 games into the season.

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

Frankly, it’s a tough blow. Murray was brought in to stabilize playmaking for the Pelicans at point guard, and to relieve scoring pressure off Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.

The West, however, is loaded, and the margin for error is rather slim. Last season, New Orleans finished seventh in the standings (49-33), securing a spot in the play-in tournament. The Pelicans lost their first game against the Lakers, but then topped the Kings to move into the first round of the NBA playoffs. Their stay was short; the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder dispatched New Orleans in a sweep.

The good news for the Pelicans is this injury happened in the first game of the 2024-25 season, early enough for New Orleans to course correct once Murray returns. Still, assuming health, the Western Conference figures to have at least 12 teams seriously capable of competing for playoff spots.

Who will step up while Dejounte Murray is injured?

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

What complicates this further is that Trey Murphy III, a versatile wing who can split time between guard and forward, remains out with his own injury, a hamstring ailment. New Orleans said Thursday that Murphy “has progressed well through the first stage of rehabilitation” and has been cleared to start return-to-play conditioning, with another update to come in two weeks.

New Orleans’ other option is to start backup point guard Jose Alvarado in Murray’s place, allowing McCollum to remain at the 2-guard. Alvarado entered Wednesday night questionable with a knee injury, but played nearly 13 minutes, going 1-for-3 from the field – with all shots coming from 3-point range. He finished with three points, three assists and one steal.

Alvarado is known for being a pesky defender, one who often lingers in the backcourt, undetected by offensive players, before swooping in for a steal. His offensive skill set, however, is nowhere near Murray’s.

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

How did Dejounte Murray injure his left hand?

The injury happened late in New Orleans’ 123-111 victory. With 2:21 left to play in the game, and the Pelicans up 12 points, Murray pulled up for a 3 from the top of the key, before he was fouled. As he tumbled to the court, he used his left hand to brace his fall, landing awkwardly on it.

Murray then needed help to stand up. He clearly favored his left hand and avoided putting pressure on it. The issue initially didn’t appear to be serious, as Murray hit two of three free throws and would stay in the game. He continued to use the hand to dribble and even grabbed a rebound in the minutes right after the injury occurred. Eventually, with the victory secured, coach Willie Green emptied the bench with a minute to play.

Murray, who had missed practice time ahead of the opener to tend to a family emergency, finished with 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

“It was really special for Dejounte to be away seeing about family, and to be able to get back – not a ton of practices the last four days – and emotionally step on this floor and lead this group the way he did,” Green told reporters after the game.