The New Orleans Pelicans head into their matchup with the Utah Jazz with a little more optimism than they had earlier in the week. Trey Murphy III and Jordan Poole are both listed as probable on the NBA’s official injury report, and barring any setbacks, both are expected to suit up.
Murphy is dealing with bilateral patella tendinopathy, while Poole is managing left ankle tendinopathy. Even with those issues, the Pelicans have reason to feel better about their rotation because both players are in line to be available.
That matters for New Orleans because Murphy brings a clean perimeter scoring threat and a versatile offensive game that doesn’t require the ball to stick in his hands. His shooting from the outside can stretch a defense and open room for the rest of the offense to breathe.
Poole gives the Pelicans a different kind of lift. He can create his own shot, get downhill off the dribble and help as a secondary playmaker when the offense needs a jolt. When New Orleans needs someone to manufacture points, he’s one of the guys who can do it.
The timing is useful, too. The Pelicans just moved to 2-4 after beating the Atlanta Hawks at home on Saturday, and they’ll try to keep that momentum going as the early-season schedule rolls on. Having Murphy and Poole available would give New Orleans a better chance to keep building on that win.
For the Pelicans, the injury report brings a welcome update: two important offensive pieces are trending toward playing, and that could make a real difference against Utah.
In Other News...
Pelicans Win Streak Faces A Bigger Test Than It Looks
After opening the season with four straight losses, the Pelicans have steadied themselves with three consecutive wins and suddenly look a lot more like a team trying to sort out its identity than one stuck in an early hole. Jamahl Mosley has been mixing and matching lineups as he searches for the right balance, a process that has helped New Orleans get to 3-4 while also revealing how much room there still is for the group to grow.
The next step comes against Utah, and it is the kind of matchup that can tell a lot more about the Pelicans than the standings suggest. New Orleans has shown enough to believe the recent surge is real, but the Jazz bring a different level of test, one that should expose whether the Pelicans strengths can travel beyond a short hot streak and hold up against a team already familiar with them. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Suddenly Have A Dejounte Murray Decision They Can't Ignore
The Pelicans have steadied themselves with three straight wins after opening 0-4, and Jeremiah Fears has been a big reason the offense has looked more settled during Dejounte Murrays absence. Fears has handled a larger role at the point, giving New Orleans a different rhythm and a clearer sense of what the rotation can look like when the ball is moving through him more often.
Murray is expected back soon, and his return brings an unavoidable roster question for a team trying to build continuity while also keeping an eye on trade possibilities. New Orleans has to decide how to balance two guards who can both handle the offense, and whether the best path forward is simply restoring the old look or finding a way to keep the current momentum intact while adding the right complementary pieces. [Read more 🡒]