The 2023-24 NBA season hasn't even started yet and the New Orleans Pelicans already have a lengthy injury list. Backup point guard Jose Alvarado suffered an ankle injury recently. Trey Murphy III suffered a knee injury during an offseason workout and is out and expected to miss the start of the season. Backup forward Naji Marshall recently suffered a knee injury and will also miss the start of the year. Injuries were the key factor that doomed the Pelicans season last year with Zion Williamson missing the majority of the year. The Pelicans did get good news on the injury front though with veteran forward Larry Nance saying he will be ready for the season opener as per Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com.

Nance told Eichenhofer that his responsibilities on the defensive end contributed to him returning to the court a little bit longer than intended.

“It feels great. Opening night was never a question. It's still not,” Nance said. “If I was less mobile of a player, I would've been back a whole lot sooner. But because I have to do so much on that end, moving my feet, it took longer. But I feel great.

Nance will be heading into his second full season with the Pelicans and his ninth NBA season overall. Last year he appeared in 65 games for the Pelicans averaging 6.8 points per game, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists with splits of 61 percent shooting from the field, 33.3 percent shooting from the three-point line and 69.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.