New Orleans Pelicans Star Dejounte Murray Undergoes Hand Surgery

New Orleans Pelicans star point guard Dejounte Murray has undergone hand surgery.

Oct 23, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) during warmups before the game against the Chicago Bulls at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans suffered a massive injury during their season-opening win over the Chicago Bulls. Dejounte Murray suffered a fractured left hand and will now miss quite a bit of time.

According to a report from ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, Murray has undergone successful surgery on his hand and will miss around four to six weeks.

Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray has undergone successful surgery on his fractured left hand and will miss four-to-six weeks, sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/puRV7jmhtd

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 25, 2024

Murray was going to be a huge part of helping the Pelicans compete in the Western Conference. Thankfully, he will be back in a month or a month and a half.

In his debut with the team, Murray ended up scoring 14 points to go along with 10 assists and eight rebounds. He only shot 4-for-15 from the field, but it was clear that the role fit his game well.

Hopefully, his recovery process will be smooth and he won't suffer any setbacks. New Orleans will need him to get healthy as soon as possible in order to play up to the level they're capable of playing.

With Murray being forced to miss time, other players are going to have to step up in a big way.

Jose Alvarado and Jordan Hawkins will be asked to continue playing big minutes. C.J. McCollum will need to step up even more as a creator as well.

Zion Williamson will also be back soon after missing the opener due to an illness. He will be asked to step up and take on a big leadership role and will need to stay healthy as well.

Throughout his career thus far, staying on the court has been a major challenge for Williamson.

Thankfully, New Orleans still has Brandon Ingram on the roster as well. Despite all of the offseason trade rumors, he began the year with the Pelicans and put up a big game in the opener. Ingram scored 33 points on 13-for-23 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds.

New Orleans has the talent necessary to withstand the Murray injury. They'll need players to step up, but they have a very deep roster at the guard position.

All of that being said, we'll keep you updated on Murray's status as he recovers from this injury. He should be back within four to six weeks assuming no setbacks occur.

It's a disappointing way to start the season, but the Pelicans have to find a way to power through until Murray is able to return to the court.