Pelicans Starter Could Miss Matchup vs Philadelphia 76ers

The New Orleans Pelicans are unsure of Dejounte Murray's status against the 76ers.

Jan 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) shoots the ball as Washington Wizards forward Alexandre Sarr (20) defends in the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans are moving in the right direction in terms of health, but they still have some concerns heading into their Friday night battle against the Philadelphia 76ers.

With the veteran guard Dejounte Murray on the injury report for the night, the Pelicans could miss a key piece of their backcourt.

According to the official NBA injury report, Murray is dealing with multiple setbacks this week. Not only does he have a right shin contusion, but he’s dealing with right elbow tendonitis as well.

The Pelicans are operating with the idea that Murray is a 50/50 call for Friday night. He is listed as questionable as of Friday morning.

Dejounte Murray (elbow, shin) listed questionable for Friday.

— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) January 9, 2025

Murray’s first stint in New Orleans got off to a rough start. After seeing the court for 29 minutes in the Pelicans’ season opener against the Chicago Bulls, Murray suffered a hand injury.

From the jump, the 28-year-old guard was staring at a long absence. From late October to late November, Murray was off the court. He missed 17 games in a row for the Pelicans.

Jan 8, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

On November 27, Murray returned to the court for a 25-minute shift against the Toronto Raptors. The Pelicans were in the midst of a notable losing streak at the time, and Murray’s presence didn’t help right away. In his first four games back, the Pelicans suffered four straight double-digit losses.

On a positive note, Murray has been available for the Pelicans’ last 20 games. The veteran guard is currently averaging 16 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. He’s still working on finding efficiency from the field, as Murray is averaging just 39 percent from the field and 26 percent from three.

The Return of Zion

Earlier this week, the New Orleans Pelicans were fortunate to get a key contributor back in the mix as Zion Williamson was cleared to return from a long absence.

Ahead of their January 7 matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Pelicans cleared Williamson to return to the court to face the Minnesota Timberwolves. The star forward checked in for 27 minutes. During that time, he produced 22 points, six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one block.

The Pelicans came up short against the Wolves with a seven-point loss. The defeat came after a two-game win streak for New Orleans.

Being that Williamson missed so much time this season, the Pelicans weren’t willing to throw him into the fire and keep him on the court for a long string of consecutive games just yet. When the Pelicans hosted the Portland Trail Blazers on the second night of a back-to-back set, Williamson got the night off.

On Thursday, the Pelicans rested and traveled to Philadelphia. Barring any unexpected changes, Williamson is on pace to play against the Sixers on Friday night.

According to the Pelicans’ injury report, Williamson is not listed. Therefore, he is available.

When the Pelicans fired up their season, Williamson wasn’t available until the second game. He played in five games in a row before missing an entire back-to-back set in early November.

Williamson played in the Pelicans’ November 6 outing against the Cleveland Cavaliers. That matchup would mark his last for nearly two months. Williamson was dealing with a hamstring strain.

Without their former No. 1 pick, the Pelicans have struggled mightily this year. While other injuries certainly contributed to the struggles, it’s clear there is a major difference with and without Zion on the floor. Without him, the Pelicans have gone 5-26 this season.

At this stage in the 2024-2025 NBA season, the Pelicans are 7-31, placed last in the Western Conference. Heading into Philadelphia, they are 2-8 over their last 10 games and have just two wins on the road this year.

The Pelicans and the Sixers are set for a 7 PM ET tip on Friday.

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