Dejounte Murray isn’t hiding his frustration as the New Orleans Pelicans stumble through a rough opening stretch, and he made that clear this week with a pair of sharp responses on social media.
New Orleans is off to a 4-8 start and has dropped four straight, with the last two losses coming by a combined 85 points. Murray, the former Atlanta Hawk, took aim at criticism after one post on X pointed out that the Pelicans are 1-8 with him on the floor and 3-0 when he hasn’t been available this season.
“From what’s going on INSIDE This sounds like someone hit you to say this!! THE “SABOTAGE” IS REAL!!!!!!,” Murray said in a post that he has since deleted.
He also fired back at a fan who shared a clip of him missing Saddiq Bey on a pass.
“Ohhhhh let’s talk about it,” he said. “When you run post plays, are they supposed to catch on the block of the 3pt line?
Let’s hear it Mr social media coach, Gm and President? You have no --- clue what we dealing with.
Maybe you should ask the whole team individually how they feel.”
Murray’s comments came in the middle of a stretch where the Pelicans are trying to steady themselves, and he’s not the only one sounding fed up. After Wednesday’s 138-87 loss to the Brooklyn Nets at the Smoothie King Center, Zion Williamson called the defeat “unacceptable.”
“As a unit, players, coaches, everybody, we have to look in the mirror when you’re by yourself and ask, ‘Did I do everything I need to for my team?’ It starts internally,” Williamson said.
The Pelicans return home Friday to face the Memphis Grizzlies, who are 7-4, at 7 p.m.
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The slide has been especially jarring because the numbers point to familiar breakdowns resurfacing at the worst possible time. New Orleans has struggled to defend with the same edge it showed during the winning streak, and the decline has been tied to defensive rebounding and turnovers, two areas that tend to expose a teams focus and discipline. For a club trying to prove it had fixed more than it had merely covered up, the recent skid has reopened a question it cannot afford to leave hanging for long. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Suddenly Face A Dejounte Murray Problem They Can't Ignore
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Phoenix has emerged as a team to watch, with interest in Murray already circulating as the Pelicans and his agency work toward a solution. Any potential path would likely require real moving pieces, and Jalen Green has been viewed as the most plausible salary match in a theoretical framework. For now, nothing official has been confirmed, but the fact that this conversation is happening at all says plenty about how quickly Murrays standing has changed. [Read more 🡒]
Grizzlies Walk Into A Short-Handed NBA Cup Test In New Orleans
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Murphys status is especially worth watching because his availability can change the look of New Orleans offense, while Missis uncertainty adds another layer to the frontcourt picture. Memphis is not arriving at full strength either, so this one figures to be more about who can piece together enough healthy minutes than about any clean, ideal lineup, which is exactly the kind of spot the Pelicans were hoping to avoid as they try to steady themselves. [Read more 🡒]