NBA Training Camps are near and it looks like some players may have a questionable status. One of those is Jose Alvarado. The New Orleans Pelicans guard suffered an ankle injury during a workout within weeks of the NBA season start. This is concerning given that his biggest strengths are his lateral coverage on defense and quickness. Although, the young player knows that as much as this is a physical discomfort most of the battle happens mentally.

Jose Alvarado outlined his mentality during the injury recovery process in a Twitter post, “You tougher than you think.”

The Pelicans guard was a key asset in the team's campaign last year. He was their defensive specialist and went viral for his quick steals that took advantage of a player that is not facing him. But, his presence has been steady and reliable for the Pelicans. Alvarado played for 61 games last year which means a lot of rotation minutes will be up for grabs if he gets ruled.

His loss adds to a slew of injury problems on the roster. Zion Williamson has been nursing a hamstring injury but is on his way back. Prior to Alvarado's injury, the Pelicans also saw their other guard, Trey Murphy, go down. Murphy is set to miss the start of NBA Training Camps and the early parts of the season. Their guard rotation may look significantly different compared to their usual lineups in the last season.

Will Alvarado's mentality push him to recover way before the NBA season and training camps start so he can help the Pelicans early on?