NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog
NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
Pelicans blog – New Orleans Pelicans basketball blog
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today the following medical updates:
Recent medical imaging on Jose Alvarado, who has missed the last 10 games due to a stress reaction in his right tibia, showed incremental improvement. He will continue his rehabilitation process and will be re-examined in 2-3 weeks.
Following re-evaluation on his right hamstring strain, Zion Williamson has been cleared to return to on-court activities. He will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
The New Orleans Pelicans announced today that the team has acquired guard Josh Richardson in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Devonte’ Graham and four future second round draft picks.
Richardson, 6-6, 190, has appeared in 42 games (six starts) for San Antonio this season, averaging 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 23.7 minutes per game while shooting .436 from the field and .357 from deep. Drafted 40th overall by Miami in the 2015 NBA Draft out of the University of Tennessee, the eighth-year NBA veteran has appeared in 480 career games (312 starts) with Miami, Philadelphia, Dallas, Boston, and San Antonio, averaging 12.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 29.2 minutes per game. Richardson has also appeared in 30 career playoff games (nine starts) throughout his career, averaging 7.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 25.2 minutes per contest.
Graham, 6-1, 197, who was originally acquired by the Pelicans from the Charlotte Hornets via trade on August 7, 2021, played in 53 games off the bench this season, averaging 5.3 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. Graham appeared in 129 games (63 starts) for the Pelicans over the last two seasons, averaging 9.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 23.0 minutes per game.
Via the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
At the end of the first half, Brandon Ingram lined up a 3-point attempt from the right wing. His shot glanced off the rim, and he reacted by tossing a towel into the stands.
In his first game back after two months away, Ingram understandably showed signs of rust while scoring 13 points.
Ingram did not get much help in his return as the Pelicans fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 111-102 on Wednesday at Smoothie King Center. It was the slumping Pelicans’ sixth straight defeat…
Ingram, who missed 29 consecutive games with a left toe contusion, shot 4 of 18 from the field. He also grabbed five rebounds and handed out five assists in 26 minutes. He was at his best in the fourth quarter, when he scored six points.
The leading Pelican scorers so far in 2022-23 are Zion Williamson at 26.0 PPG, CJ McCollum at 21.1 PPG, Ingram at 20.8 PPG, and Jonas Valanciunas at 14.8 PPG. The team is now 26-23.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson was recently re-evaluated for his right hamstring injury. The re-evaluation showed that Williamson’s hamstring is healing as expected and he is making progress with his recovery.
Williamson will continue his rehabilitation process, which includes strengthening his hamstring and gradually progressing to more movement.
He will be re-evaluated again in two weeks.
Williamson, who sustained a right hamstring strain on January 2 at Philadelphia, has missed the last 10 games for the Pelicans. He holds season averages of 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in 29 contests.
New Orleans Pelicans Head Coach Willie Green has been named the Western Conference Coach of the Month for December 2022, the NBA announced today.
After guiding the Pelicans to a 10-5 record in the month of December, the Pelicans currently sit third in the Western Conference rankings with a 23-14 record, a 10-win improvement from last season and the franchise’s third-best start through 37 games. New Orleans notched two separate five-game winning streaks in December, and finished the month with an 8-1 record at the Smoothie King Center.
During the month of December the Pelicans ranked third in the NBA, averaging 118.3 points per game. New Orleans was the only Western Conference team to finish the month in the top 10 in both offensive (10th) and defensive (6th) rating, and also finished sixth in the NBA and second in Western Conference in net rating (3.3).
Green is the fourth coach in New Orleans franchise history to garner Coach of the Month honors, joining Monty Williams (January 2011), Byron Scott (January 2008, December 2008), and Paul Silas (April 2003).
The New Orleans Pelicans announced that medical imaging taken earlier today confirmed forward Zion Williamson sustained a right hamstring strain during last night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Williamson will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
Via the New Orleans Times-Picayune:
The Pelicans are in first place in the Western Conference. They have ripped off seven straight wins without an injured Brandon Ingram, a winning streak they can attribute to [Zion] Williamson playing like a superstar and their depth, of which Nance is a major part of.
[Larry Nance Jr.] has been one of the NBA’s most valuable reserves this season. He is averaging 9.5 points on 66.4% shooting, 5.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1 steal and 0.9 blocks in 23 minutes. The Pelicans are blasting opponents with him on the floor, outscoring other teams by 11.6 points per 100 possessions.
Pelicans coach Willie Green has chose to use Nance primarily at center. He has spent 90% of his minutes at that position, according to Cleaning the Glass. The Pelicans can switch every ball screen when he’s at center in what they call their “red” defense.
The New Orleans Pelicans have assigned guard Kira Lewis Jr. to the Birmingham Squadron, the team’s NBA G League affiliate.
Additionally, the Pelicans transferred two-way guard Dereon Seabron from New Orleans to Birmingham.
Lewis Jr. (6-1, 178), who was last assigned to Birmingham on Nov. 14, appeared in three games for the Squadron and averaged 13.7 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.0 minutes per game. Drafted by New Orleans with the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Lewis Jr. has appeared in 78 games with the Pelicans and holds career averages of 6.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
Seabron (6-5, 183) has appeared in nine games for the Squadron this season, averaging 16.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 34.6 minutes per game.
Lewis Jr. and Seabron will be available for tomorrow night’s game against the Mexico City Capitanes.
New Orleans Pelicans guard Kira Lewis Jr. has been assigned to the Birmingham Squadron, the team’s NBA G League affiliate.
Lewis Jr., who was drafted by New Orleans with the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, has appeared in 78 games over two seasons and holds careers averages of 6.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
The University of Alabama product sustained a torn ACL and Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee during a game against the Denver Nuggets on December 8, 2021.
The New Orleans Pelicans have exercised the team’s fourth-year option on guard Kira Lewis Jr. and their third-year option on guard/forward Trey Murphy III.
Selected 13th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, Lewis Jr. has appeared in 78 games off the bench for New Orleans, averaging 6.2 points, 2.2 assists and 1.4 rebounds in 16.0 minutes per contest while shooting.391 from the floor, .298 from three-point range and .841 from the line.
Murphy III, selected 17th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, has appeared in 66 games (two starts) for New Orleans, averaging 6.0 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per contest while shooting .420 from the floor, .410 from three-point range and .877 from the line.