Pelicans Playing It Safe After Win Over Hawks
Trey Murphy III had 30 points, Tyrique Jones had 9 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans ran away with a 101-73 win in their second NBA Summer League game. Coach Jarrod Collins was proud of the bounce-back win but will have a tough time earning a place in the championship game. The Pelicans have announced Dyson Daniels, Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall, and Murphy III will not play in the remaining games on the Las Vegas schedule.
New Orleans will need better luck all around to get the full developmental value out of the trip. E.J. Liddell was in a rhythm, scoring points, grabbing 4 rebounds, and dishing out 2 assists in 12 minutes. The 42nd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft landed awkwardly after a lob from Marshall and will have an MRI done this week to determine if there is any damage.
Jul 11, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward E.J. Liddell (32) suffers an apparent injury during an NBA Summer League game against the Atlanta Hawks at Cox Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
“It’s tough. We mentioned it the other day with Dyson. Injuries are part of the game. You don’t want to see anyone get injured out there. We’ll have more information for you guys tomorrow.” Collins said after the win.
Murphy III “had 30 points but no defense” according to Brandon Ingram’s post-game comments. It was a nice way to end his Las Vegas venture after a 1/9 shooting day from three-point range in the opening loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Daeqwon Plowden had an impressive 16 points and 6 rebounds in an expanded role. Jared Harper (14 points, 7 assists) and John Petty Jr. built on their Birmingham Squadron chemistry to lead the Pelicans in assists. New Orleans had only 10 in the loss to Portland but 18 against Atlanta.
Keeping the ball moving will help the players still logging minutes to show their talents. Plowden seized the opportunity after logging only three minutes versus Portland. Dereon Seaborn has already signed a two-way contract but has not made a shot in 25 professional minutes.
The Pelicans will get to see more from the players just trying to make a G-League roster in the last three games. All three 2022 NBA Draft picks are dealing with injuries. Daniels (ankle), Liddell (right knee) and Karlo Matkovic (stitches, hand) will have to wait until training camp to build on their shortened introductions to the NBA game.
Zach Hankins has gotten the bulk of the big man minutes behind Matkovic. John Butler Jr., Amadou Sow, and Deividas Sirvydis will have to fight for time to get in sync with Harper, Petty Jr., and Seabron as those three initiate the offense before going back to Birmingham.
New Orleans (1-1) will face the Washington Wizards (1-1) on July 13 at 5:00 PM CST and will air on NBA TV.
Read More Pelicans News:
- Pelicans 'Ice-Cold Shooting' in Summer League Opener
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- Dyson Daniels Signs Rookie-Scale Deal With Pelicans
- Zion Williamson at Quai 54
- Where Zion Chose to Sign His Contract Spoke Volumes
- What Can the Pelicans Expect from E.J. Liddell?
- Pelicans Will See Return On Karlo Matkovic Investment
- Pelicans Dyson Daniels Injured in NBA Debut
