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The New Orleans Pelicans have not been able to escape the injury bug this season, and now their problems continue to go from bad to worse. Defensive ace Herb Jones has not played since Jan. 8 due to a shoulder injury, and he won't be back anytime soon. On Wednesday, Jones underwent successful shoulder surgery that will end his season, the team announced on social media.
Jones is one of the best defensive players in the league. He has also developed his offensive game and is a threat from the 3-point line, so he will be missed for the Pelicans over the final few months of the regular season. He only played in 20 games this season, but he averaged 10.3 points per game to go with nearly two steals a night.
Jones' issues are far from the only injuries that the Pelicans have had to deal with over the year. Rookie center Yves Missi is the only one out of New Orleans' top seven players at the start of the season to play in 40 or more games. Zion Williamson dealt with a hamstring injury and has only played in 17 games, CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III both missed time, and Dejounte Murray suffered a broken hand in the season opener before coming back and tearing his Achilles last month.
Even forward Brandon Ingram missed over a month with an ankle injury before he was traded to the Toronto Raptors. As a result, the Pelicans are currently in last place in the Western Conference with a putrid 12-41 record. They have lost nine games in a row and continue to slide without Murray.
The hope for New Orleans is that they can retool the roster this offseason and come back next year with a healthy team. A core of Williamson, Murphy, and Jones is an intriguing combination of talent, but they all need to stay healthy to maximize their potential together. While it's too late for that this season, there is still a good group of young talent in New Orleans.
