After the latest news, it may be time for the New Orleans Pelicans to make some real changes to their roster.
Heading into the start of the season, the case could be made that the New Orleans Pelicans were a team that carried much promise. However, before the season even began, the injury bug started to take a toll on the team. At this point, the Pelicans have been decimated so much by injury that there's a growing sense that this could be viewed as a forgotten season for the team.
Right now, the Pelicans have had to play without five of their top 6 rotation players on the roster at various points to start the season. But the latest injury may be the one to deliver the knockout punch to the Pelicans on the season. Zion Williamson, the heart and soul of the team, is slated to miss at least the next 4-6 weeks with a hamstring injury. In the words of ESPN's Shams Charania, there's no guarantee he'll return in that timeline, and at the moment, the better way to label his absence is one of "indefinite" status.
Losing Zion for what could end up being two months of the season, especially knowing how Zion has struggled in the past when returning from injuries, could end up being a death blow to the Pelicans. A team that was considered one of the deepest rosters in the Western Conference has struggled for much of the season, and mostly due to injury - which makes their situation all the more unfortunate.
The New Orleans Pelicans may need to pivot
Through the first 10 games of the season, the Pelicans are 3-7 and have dug a pretty big hole for themselves in the Western Conference. It's not something they can't overcome, especially with a healthy roster, but right now, the Pelicans don't have that. And, to be quite honest, there's no guarantee the Pelicans will have a fully healthy roster anytime soon. At best, the Pelicans may not be at full strength again until the turn of the calendar.
At that point, the season may already be lost. This most recent news could open the door for change in New Orleans. With Brandon Ingram in the final year of his contract, you can't help but wonder if the injury issues that the team has faced so far this season will push him closer to being moved before the NBA Trade Deadline.
It wouldn't be the least shocking, especially if it becomes clear that the Pelicans aren't going to be able to overcome their injuries. The regular season isn't even a month old and the Pelicans have been absolutely decimated by injuries. It's one thing to lose CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, and even Herbert Jones, but the one to Zion could end up being the final nail in the coffin. It's unfortunate because it appears as if the Pelicans' season may have ended before they even got a shot to begin.