The New Orleans Pelicans (44-28) are getting one lottery pick-level reinforcement back into the rotation while losing a pesky fan favorite. Dyson Daniels finished the last step of the team's return to action plan with a splendid night leading the Birmingham Squadron. The Australian has been recalled to the NBA roster, but Jose Alvarado (right oblique strain) has been ruled out for at least one game.
Daniels returning will help First Team All-Defense candidate Herb Jones in corralling the All-World talent coming to the Smoothie King Center during the homestand. Zion Williamson's playoff-focus Pelicans need all the help they can get with the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Phoenix Suns coming to New Orleans over the next six days. Willie Green's group is in too much of a battle to stay above the NBA Play-In Tournament line.
Alvarado, averaging 21.2 minutes over the last 15 contests, will miss the matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. Daniels will likely step into those minutes. The 20-year-old looked fresh as ever with the Birmingham Squadron in the G-Leauge affiliate's second to last game of the season. Daniels had 22 points, six assists, seven steals, and one rebound while shooting 7-12 from the field. He made half (3-6) of his three-pointers and was a perfect 3-3 from the free-throw line.
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado dealing with several ailments
Alvarado was upbeat and smiling during practice despite accumulating a few ailments in the loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“It was like three possessions in a row that I got banged up but that's just basketball I guess,” Alvarado joked. “That's what I do, right? It was something that there was pain in the moment. Feeling pretty good right now, just going through the motions. I should be fine though.”
Those three possessions left Alvarado bruised from head to toe thanks to a teammate's elbow to the face and a knee-knocking box out.
“Just boxing out, both crashed in together,” Alvarado explained. “Just one of those moments that like when someone hits you in your arm and it's like a dead arm. That's how my leg felt with the hip and stuff. It should be fine though.”
One hit was friendly fire, though Alvarado did not know it was Naji Marshall's elbow until watching the replay.
“Yeah, I found out who it was! It was Naji who caught me,” Alvarado laughed. “I even tried out a mask today to see how it felt wearing it. It definitely was Naji though, I'll tell you that much.”
The mask will not be seen on a Smoothie King Center court soon.
“(The mask) is just for here (the practice facility),” Alvarado allowed. “I don't know if it's a game thing yet. Nothing really major happened to my face. I just wanted to see how it felt since Naji hit me in the face. I wanted him to feel sorry. He didn't say anything to me except the mask is pretty cool but (wearing it) was just for today.”
Alvarado can take a few games off to refresh his legs. The pesky point guard took Marshall's elbow like a UFC fighter. The bandage around his hand might be the most worrisome issue since it can affect both Alvarado's shot and ball-handling capabilities.
“It's been like that a while. It's the kind of season where you got to go out there and try to give it all you got,” Alvarado admitted. “I'm getting banged up but it's alright. I have time to recover.”
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