The New Orleans Pelicans injury report remains depressing. The recent Brandon Ingram injury is just another piece of terrible news for a team that hasn’t been able to catch a break. Ingram injured his left ankle in Saturday night’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. His return timeline remains uncertain and will depend on his response to treatment and rehabilitation, as confirmed by the team in an official announcement on Sunday.
Injuries have killed the Pelicans all year long. Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Dejounte Murray have all missed significant time. Despite the team’s promising start to the offseason, their current record of 5-20 puts them at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Their chances of getting out of the bottom of the West standings dwindle with every loss and every injury.
Pelicans Injury Report Remains Depressing With Recent Injury News
Ingram Injury and What it Means for Trade Rumors
Ingram had been one of the few bright spots for the Pelicans this season. He was averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, shooting 46.5% from the field and 37.4% from three-point range. Now that he will be sidelined for an indefinite amount of time, the Pelicans will have to figure out someplace else to replace the Ingram stats. McCollum and Murray are back in the lineup, which should help, but it likely won’t be enough to turn their season around.
There has been talk about Ingram’s potential departure from New Orleans, which has been growing with the trade deadline approaching. The Pelicans desperately need something to go right, and they could consider changing their luck around by making a big trade.
While a high-grade ankle sprain typically sidelines players for 4-6 weeks, Ingram could be out even longer. The report from the Pelicans wasn’t completely clear on the severity of the injury, and Ingram has suffered many injuries in the past. This uncertainty might stop teams from making a move.
Pelicans Injury Report Makes Winning Impossible
The Pelicans have endured tons of injury issues this season. Zion Williamson has played only six games because of a hamstring injury. Other key players, including Herb Jones, McCollum, and Murray, have also missed extended periods as well. Even with some of these players having returned recently, the team may be in too deep of a hole to recover.
Moving Forward After The Ingram Injury
So what should the Pelicans do? Should they start cleaning house and rebuild for the future? Or is it better to stand pat and hope that they can be healthy next season?
Pelicans fans are probably hurting just as much as the team has been. They looked like an exciting young team that was maybe going to make some noise in the West. Now, they are one of the worst teams in the league.
While the Ingram stats have been solid, his absence will only add to the team’s challenges in a year already marred by injuries. Ingram’s last memories as a Pelican could be Saturday’s injury. Any team trading for him while he is injured is taking on added risk, but they may be able to grab him at a lower price.
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