New Orleans Pelicans Injury Report: Latest update on Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III

The New Orleans Pelicans will play the New York Knicks on Saturday without Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III. “Grand Theft Alvarado” sprained his right ankle in offseason workouts. He did not play in any of the Pelicans’ preseason games. The combo guard is reportedly still experiencing pain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.

Murphy, on the other hand, underwent successful partial meniscectomy surgery and a biologic injection in his left knee in September. The forward is expected to be unavailable for at least the next one and a half months. Like Alvarado, Murphy suffered the injury in the offseason while training. If everything goes as planned, he could return late in November.

The New Orleans Pelicans opened their season on the road without the two aforementioned players. They rolled past the undermanned Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum led the team to the win.

The Grizzlies didn’t have Ja Morant, Steven Adams, Brandon Clarke and Santi Aldama. Morant is serving the first of a 25-game suspension while Adams, Clarke and Aldama are all out with injuries. The Pelicans could feel the absence of Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III against deeper and more talented teams.

Alvarado played 61 games last season and averaged 9.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals. The combo guard’s impact, though, is more than just his numbers. He does the little things that make the Pelicans dangerous. Alvarado’s pesky defense, hustle and all-out energy do not show on the box score but give New Orleans a big boost.

Trey Murphy III, meanwhile, is expected to have a bigger role for the New Orleans Pelicans this season. He averaged 5.4 points in his rookie year and hiked it up to 14.5 PPG last season. Murphy’s length, shooting and defense make him invaluable to the team.

The Pelicans will have to play their best without two of their most impactful players.

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Kira Lewis Jr., Jordan Hawkins, Dyson Daniels and Larry Nance Jr. are going to play extended minutes without Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III

Kira Lewis Jr., Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr. and rookie Jordan Hawkins are expected to get more playing time without Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III. The former averaged 21.5 MPG last season while the latter normed 31.0 MPG. Those minutes will likely be divided among the aforementioned names.

In the New Orleans Pelicans’ win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Daniels logged 19 minutes while Nance had 15. Lewis had 11 minutes while Hawkins made his NBA debut, playing nine minutes.

The trend is likely to continue until Jose Alvarado and Trey Murphy III are healthy and ready to return to action.