Two key pieces of the New Orleans Pelicans have worked their way back to the court.
Trey Murphy and Herb Jones, who both suffered season-ending shoulder injuries, will be suited up when the Pelicans play the Memphis Grizzlies in the season opener on Oct. 22.
“These guys have been fully cleared to go,” Joe Dumars, the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operation, said Monday. “It’s no holds barred for those guys. They are ready to go.”
Murphy and Jones have spent the past few weeks scrimmaging at the team’s practice facility.
“I’ve seen those guys get knocked down, crash to the floor, everything,” Dumars said. “So those guys have been back on the court full speed for several weeks now.”
Jones, selected to the NBA’s first-team All-Defense team in the 2023-’24 season, played in just 20 games this past season. He injured the shoulder on Jan. 8 in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers and underwent surgery in the middle of February.
“He is one of the pillars of our team and one of our leaders,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said at the time. “So we want him to heal quickly and progress as he goes through this.”
Jones averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists last season. But it’s his presence on the defensive end of the court that was missed the most.
Murphy, meanwhile, injured his shoulder on March 17 diving for a loose ball in a loss to the Detroit Pistons. In the midst of what was the best season of his career, he was diagnosed with a torn labrum and partial tear of the rotator cuff in his right shoulder. He underwent his surgery on March 26. Murphy averaged a career-high in points (21.6), rebounds (5.2) and assists (3.6) and moved into ninth place on the franchise’s all-time scoring list.
Jones and Murphy were both members of the Pelicans’ 2021 draft class and have become essential building blocks for the franchise’s future.
Their return to start the season is a big lift for a team looking to rebound from last season’s 21-61 finish, the second fewest wins in franchise history. The Pelicans will likely have to wait a bit longer for the return of point guard Dejounte Murray and rookie forward Derik Queen.
“Those guys are deep into their rehab,” Dumars said. “Obviously they are not back yet. I can’t give a specific date right now, but those guys are really deep into their rehab. My conversation with the medical (staff) here has been real good over the summer about the process these guys have been going through.”
Murray tore his Achilles against the Boston Celtics on Jan. 31. Queen, drafted by the Pelicans with the No. 13 overall pick in June, suffered a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist in July during a Summer League game in Las Vegas. He recorded a double-double in Summer League play, averaging 14 points, 11 rebounds and 2.3 assists in three games.
The Pelicans begin training camp Wednesday. They will fly to Australia this weekend to play a pair of preseason games there on Oct. 3 and 4. They will return home after that and play a preseason game against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 14 in Birmingham, Alabama. The final preseason game is at the Orlando Magic on Oct. 16.