The Big Lead

New NBA season has its first injured star and not surprisingly he's a Pelican

By Joe Lago

Oct 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) shoots a jump shot against Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith (7) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) shoots a jump shot against Chicago Bulls forward Jalen Smith (7) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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If you think your favorite sports team is cursed by a relentless string of injuries, fans of the New Orleans Pelicans will offer no sympathy.

One game into the 2024-25 NBA season, the Pelicans have already suffered yet another costly setback.

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On Wednesday, point guard Dejounte Murray broke his left hand in the fourth quarter of New Orleans' 123-111 home victory against the Chicago Bulls. The Pelicans' key offseason addition is expected to be out "an extended period of time," ESPN's Shams Charania reported late Wednesday night.

Late in the fourth quarter, Murray got his hand caught in the jersey of Bulls forward Josh Giddey and told teammate CJ McCollum that his "hand didn't feel right." Murray played the final minutes, and New Orleans managed to beat the Bulls without two starters. Zion Williamson missed the game due to an illness, and Trey Murphy III is still recovering from a hamstring injury.

The Pelicans acquired Murray last July from the Atlanta Hawks, hoping he could be the playmaker to unlock their potential and lead them back to the playoffs. But injuries continue to muck up the master plans of David Griffin, the team's executive vice president of basketball operations.

The biggest obstacle has been the health of Williamson, the 2019 No. 1 overall pick whose five-year NBA career has been marred by injury, including a foot problem that forced him to miss the entire 2021-22 season.

So when news broke of Murray's fractured hand, Pelicans fans could only sake their heads. And, as Times-Picayune columnist Rod Walker perfectly summed, the injury was just the latest "here we go again" moment for Griffin, the Pelicans and New Orleans basketball fans.

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