The New Orleans Pelicans started off their season strong in the win column, beating the Chicago Bulls 123-111 on Wednesday night at Smoothie King Center. Unfortunately the roster was dealt a blow in the process.
Offseason acquisition and former All-Star Dejounte Murray, suiting up in his first regular-season game for the Pelicans, suffered a fractured hand at some point during the victory. He managed to finish off the game and posted a statline of 14 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds. But he will miss "extended" time, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
It's a tough blow for New Orleans. Murray was traded to the Pelicans by the Atlanta Hawks, expected to come in as the team's true point guard and to spearhead their defensive efforts. His presence was also supposed to make Brandon Ingram a bit more expendable with the Pelicans spending all summer looking for ways to trade the one-time All-Star.
Now Murray will miss a lot of games and Ingram probably won't be going anywhere. The Pelicans managed to go 49-33 last year with effectively the same lineup they'll trot out with Murray sidelined, so it's not a death knell by any means. But the defense will suffer since the Pelicans swapped defensive ace Dyson Daniels for Murray in the trade.
The Pelicans' place as playoff contenders is directly tied to the health of Zion Williamson above all (who missed the season opener with an illness). But Murray is a floor-raiser with his defensive prowess and versatility. New Orleans will be fine without him for the time being, but the sooner he can get back on the floor and get acclimated with his new teammates, the better.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dejounte Murray Fractures Hand in Pelicans Debut, Will Miss 'Extended' Time .
