The New Orleans Pelicans hit a new low on Wednesday night, and dejected guard Dejounte Murray did not hold back in his scathing assessment of the team’s dismal performance. After the previously winless Toronto Raptors came into New Orleans and throttled the Pelicans by 34 points, an exasperated Murray unleashed his frustrations.
“If you’re not embarrassed and really mad about this, that’s a problem,” Murray seethed following the 119-93 shellacking that extended the Pelicans’ losing streak to six games. “It’s not really about the loss, but how we lost in front of our fans. Even the fans booing – what would you do if you were paying your money? They deserve a better game.”
Injuries Crippling the Pelicans
The Pelicans, a preseason darling pegged by many to make noise in the hyper-competitive Western Conference, have looked like a M.A.S.H. unit through the first quarter of the season. The string of injuries has been relentless:
- Zion Williamson (hamstring) – out indefinitely
- Brandon Ingram (toe) – out indefinitely
- CJ McCollum (adductor) – missed 13 games before returning
- Herbert Jones (shoulder) – out indefinitely
- Trey Murphy III (knee) – day-to-day
The revolving door of injuries has left head coach Willie Green scrambling to piece together lineups and find any semblance of continuity or chemistry. According to league insiders, the Pelicans have used an NBA-high 12 different starting lineups already this season.
Lack of Effort Inexcusable
While the injury bug has bitten New Orleans hard, Murray refused to use that as an excuse for the team’s lackluster effort and intensity. “When you’ve got guys in, guys out, it’s really tough,” he admitted. “But it’s not tough to compete. You can’t get punked. You can’t get pushed around. Tonight was disgusting.”
“We’ve got to compete. We’ve got to play harder, no matter who’s on the floor.”
Dejounte Murray
Coach Green echoed his point guard’s sentiments, lambasting what he called a “lack of competition” and a “really soft” showing on their home floor. The Raptors, last in the league in 3-point makes, drilled a season-high 21 triples against the listless Pelicans defense.
No Time to Waste
At 4-15, the Pelicans find themselves ahead of only the Houston Rockets in the West cellar. CJ McCollum stressed the urgency of the situation, noting “time is ticking and it isn’t getting any easier.”
New Orleans will look to stop the bleeding on Friday night in Memphis against Ja Morant and the Grizzlies. It’s gut check time for the reeling Pelicans to show what they’re made of.
“As soon as we get on that plane, we got to lock in to understanding what just happened. You don’t want bad habits to carry over.”
Dejounte Murray
Murray’s impassioned words need to light a fire under a Pelicans squad that many considered a dark horse title contender. If they continue sleepwalking through games, those championship aspirations will quickly turn into lottery dreams in the Big Easy.
