Dejounte Murray’s return puts the Pelicans right back in the spot they were trying to avoid: figuring out how to make Jeremiah Fears and Murray work when the numbers say they shouldn’t be sharing the floor.
New Orleans got a clean look at Fears running the backcourt alone against the Sacramento Kings while Murray sat out, and that game only sharpened the argument that the two point guards are a bad fit together. It’s not really about declaring one the better player. It’s about what the results look like when only one of them is on the court.
Through five games, the Pelicans have posted a -25.5 net rating in 55 minutes with both point guards on the floor. The drop-off is severe on both ends.
With only Murray playing, the team is at -8.3. With only Fears, it jumps to +7.3.
Even more striking, New Orleans is actually a +21.6 when neither guard is out there.
That leaves Jamahl Mosley with a decision that goes beyond basketball. Benching either player brings its own complications, and both have reasons they should be in the lineup.
Murray is the veteran of the two, and he’s also the pricier one. He’s set to make $32.8 million this season, and the Pelicans have nearly $70 million tied up between Murray and Poole.
That’s not the kind of money a team wants sitting on the bench. If New Orleans eventually wants to move Murray - a move that would likely suit both sides - he needs to be on the floor to rebuild his value.
Right now, though, that value may be slipping. No one can say exactly what’s going through Murray’s head on each possession, but his body language has suggested plenty of frustration. That’s not a good look for anybody involved, regardless of what the film says.
Still, if the locker room settles and the offense opens up with him back in action, Murray probably gives the Pelicans more help toward winning right now than Fears does. He brings a higher defensive ceiling, rebounds well, and is the better playmaker.
Fears, though, is the one with the higher long-term upside at 20 years old. He’s going to make plenty of mistakes, but those mistakes come with development.
He looked much more comfortable when he was the lone point guard, even if his reads still need work. His confidence as a playmaker also took a step forward in the last game, when he finished with a career-high 13 assists.
Friday night’s starting lineup should offer the next clue, especially if both guards are still in it together. There will be an update once the lineup is released.
In Other News...
Pelicans Finally Found A Lineup That Changes The Conversation
The Pelicans latest win did more than just give them a second straight victory. In a 121-99 rout of the Hawks, New Orleans got a real jolt from Saddiq Bey off the bench and, perhaps more importantly, saw a starting group of Jeremiah Fears, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson and Karlo Matkovic hold up well together for a full night. With Dejounte Murray resting, the rotation had a different look, and it paid off in a way that has been hard to find for much of the season.
Beys scoring gave the Pelicans a needed lift, but the broader takeaway was how cleanly the lineup fit on both ends. New Orleans has spent plenty of time searching for combinations that can stabilize games and make the offense feel less forced, and this one changed the conversation for at least one night. Whether it sticks is the next question, but the Pelicans finally have something concrete to build on. [Read more 🡒]
Pelicans Make Dejounte Murray Decision As Early Lineup Test Gets Real
Dejounte Murray was back around the Pelicans facility, but the team still kept him out of the matchup with the Atlanta Hawks as it opted to give him extra rest. Murray had already missed the previous game for the birth of his child, so New Orleans chose not to rush him back into action and instead stayed patient with his return.
The Pelicans also rolled with the same look they used in the prior game, keeping Jeremiah Fears, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy and Zion Williamson in place. It was another chance for that group to build continuity while Murray remained on the sideline, and it left New Orleans with one more lineup decision hanging over the next stretch of games. [Read more 🡒]
Zion Is Giving The Pelicans Hope And A Tough New Debate
Zion Williamsons start to the 2026-27 season has given the Pelicans something they have not always been able to count on from him: availability. He has been on the floor for all five games so far, and the early returns have been encouraging, with his scoring punch and rebounding presence helping stabilize a roster that has long had to plan around uncertainty.
For New Orleans, the bigger issue may be what this version of Williamson means beyond the box score. If he keeps this up, the Pelicans could find themselves with a tougher decision than they expected, because a healthy, productive stretch would only strengthen his value around the league and widen the range of options in front of them. [Read more 🡒]