The New Orleans Pelicans (18-10) won seven straight on their way to No. 1 in the Western Conference standings as soon as 2015-16 Duke basketball one-and-done and 2020 NBA All-Star Brandon Ingram began his ongoing nine-game stretch of missed action with a left big-toe contusion.
In Ingram’s absence, the team’s other former Blue Devil, Zion Williamson, rose to another level, appearing at No. 10 on NBA.com’s latest Kia MVP Ladder.
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But New Orleans is suddenly on a slight skid after dropping two straight games at the Utah Jazz (17-14). That includes Thursday night’s 132-129 overtime affair, in which the Pelicans fell short despite Williamson’s 31 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and two blocks.
They now sit below the Memphis Grizzlies (19-9) in the West.
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And according to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez, Brandon Ingram will be out for at least the next three games after suffering “a small setback” in his rehabilitation last weekend, just as he was hoping to return. Although the injury remains just a bruise, per Lopez, “the team will be cautious with his return.”
Ingram, a seventh-year pro and former No. 2 overall draft pick, has missed 13 outings this season, including an early four-game stretch with a concussion. This is the sixth season in a row he has logged double-digit absences, yet he’s never played fewer than 50 games.
Across 15 appearances for these energized 2022-23 Pelicans, the 25-year-old has averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while shooting a career-high 46.7 percent from downtown.
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Despite the squad’s overall success without him in the lineup (9-4), one would think New Orleans should benefit from the Duke basketball product’s playmaking, shot-making, length, and leadership upon his eventual return from the toe injury.
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