The New Orleans Pelicans are continuing to evaluate Dejounte Murray’s toe contusion after the guard missed Saturday’s practice and the team’s preseason game against Miami.
Coach Jamahl Mosley said the Pelicans would monitor how Murray responds to treatment as the regular season approaches, according to Field Level Media’s Sunday report. The update did not give a clearance date.
Murray played in New Orleans’s preseason opener against Oklahoma City, recording six points, six assists and four rebounds. He was then held out of Thursday’s matchup with the Heat.
The absence interrupts the Pelicans’ opportunity to work their starting guard into Mosley’s system during the exhibition schedule. His return to practice will be the next useful indication of how that preparation can proceed.
Injuries have limited Murray to 45 games across his first two seasons in New Orleans. During that span, he averaged 17.2 points and 7.0 assists, with 6.1 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game, the report said.
Those numbers explain the significance of his availability to the Pelicans’ ballhandling and perimeter defense. The current report concerns a toe contusion, and it leaves his next game appearance unresolved.
For now, New Orleans’s publicly described approach is continued evaluation. A new practice report or a team announcement will be needed to establish whether he is ready to resume full game work.
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