3 New Orleans Pelicans Players Who Need To Step Up in Dejounte Murray’s Absence

These three New Orleans Pelicans players need to take their games to another level while Dejounte Murray is sidelined.

Oct 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) jumps on forward Brandon Ingram (14) as he is announced to the fans to start the game against the Chicago Bulls at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans debut of point guard Dejounte Murray had its shining moments.

He nearly recorded a triple-double, scoring 14 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds. His teammates all benefitted greatly from the playmaking he provided in a 123-110 victory over the Chicago Bulls despite Zion Williamson not being in the lineup.

Unfortunately, things didn’t end well for Murray. In the fourth quarter, he suffered a fractured left hand that will keep him sidelined indefinitely.

That is a huge blow to the Pelicans as he was set to play a major role this season. Without him, other players are going to have to rise to the occasion.

Who will Willie Green be relying on the most? Here are three New Orleans players who need to step up in Murray’s absence.

CJ McCollum

Playing off the ball and being relied upon more as a scorer instead of a facilitator was the plan for the veteran combo guard. But, with Murray now sidelined, McCollum will likely shift back to a role similar to what he played in recent seasons.

He will be one of the main facilitators and playmakers for as long as their big offseason acquisition is sidelined. It is a role that he is capable of filling, as he has averaged 5.3 assists per game in his tenure with the Pelicans.

Jose Alvarado

Last season, the Georgia Tech product finished sixth in the Sixth Man of the Year Award voting. He was set to fill a similar role this season, but he is going to see the most drastic change without Murray in the mix.

After playing 12:48 in the season opener, it would not be a surprise if he pushes closer to 20 minutes as long as this injury keeps him sidelined for. It is something he can assuredly handle, as he played 18.4 minutes last season and 21.5 before that.

His defensive intensity is something the Pelicans will to help compensate for Murray’s loss on that end of the floor.

Brandon Ingram

New Orleans is very fortunate that they didn’t end up trading the former No. 2 overall pick this offseason. He has been needed with Trey Murphy sidelined and now Murray exiting the lineup as well.

A similar role to recent seasons, where he took turns with McCollum as the point guards offensively, is what will happen again for the next few weeks. He has some extra motivation to play well playing on an expiring contract.

A strong performance without Murray in the lineup will only boost his stock. It will show that he is capable of filling several different roles for a team, and hopefully, some wins come as a result of his production on the court.