Injury curse! All members are injured in the new season! Can this team turn around?

When looking at the 30 NBA teams, the best teams may vary, but when it comes to the most disappointing team, the New Orleans Pelicans must be on the list.

For this team, they have never lacked talent, but no matter how hard they try, someone will always fall down unexpectedly, and someone will always be absent for no reason.

The new season has just begun, and this team seems to have started a new cycle of tragedy.

As for the team's main player, Zion Williamson, the No. 1 pick was supposed to be the hope for the Pelicans' rise. He averaged 22.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2 steals per game, which is a star-level figure for any team. But the problem is, his attendance is really bad.

Within less than ten games into the new season, Zion has already been hampered by a grade-one hamstring strain in his left leg and missed 5 games. Looking at his entire career, he has only played 219 games in seven seasons, and has not even had a chance to land in the playoffs.

The Pelicans' current problem is also quite embarrassing. If Zion continues to have such a poor attendance rate, the team may have to consider giving up the team building plan around him. But the problem is that it is really difficult to find someone on the market who dares to take over. I don't doubt Zion's ability, but his repeated injury history is like a time bomb, and no one may want to take a gamble on it.

After Zion is Jordan Poole.

As a trade signing during the offseason, the 26-year-old Poole was once regarded as the team's successor during the Warriors. However, due to conflicts in the team, Poole was sent to the Wizards. Last season, Poole also averaged 20.5 points and 4.5 assists per game. He is a high-quality team's second scorer.

But after coming to the Pelicans, he only played seven games in the new season, and the guard also suffered a mild strain of the vastus lateralis muscle of his left leg. Although it is only a minor injury, in the harsh environment of the Pelicans, it is really difficult to remain optimistic about him. And these two core players have suffered injuries and fallen down one after another. It is self-evident how much combat effectiveness this team has left.

After the above two core players, another signing during the offseason also encountered injury problems.

Kevin Rooney, who was introduced for 16 million in two years during the offseason, is a veteran of the Warriors championship. Although his performance declined last season, based on the data and playing time, the Pelicans' introduction of him is still quite cost-effective.

However, after just 3 games with the Pelicans, the 29-year-old veteran center suffered a sprain of the proximal tibiofibular joint ligament in his left knee. Although he has successfully returned to the team and made a comeback, the injury risk behind this is still not small, which is true and makes fans worried about his future.

The fourth casualty is from Yves Missy.

The 21-year-old young center once showed outstanding potential last season, averaging 9.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 blocks per game, which was one of the few bright spots for the Pelicans. In the new season, he gradually entered the starting five position, starting 4 of 5 games, averaging 7.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 blocks per game.

But this advantageous situation did not last long. Limited by a right ankle sprain, the young center only played 5 games and was forced to rest. In order to cope with the vacancy at the fifth position, the team had no choice but to sign veteran Jordan to replace him.

The last casualty was Dejounte Murray.

The biggest victim of the Pelicans' injury curse was able to deliver a star guard averaging 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game in the 2023-24 season. However, he only played 31 games after joining the Pelicans, and his average data dropped directly to 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game.

To make matters worse, after joining the Pelicans, Murray experienced a series of life traumas. First, his brother was murdered, his mother suffered a stroke, and he himself suffered a severe Achilles tendon tear.

As a 29-year-old star defender who is at his peak, he has suffered major psychological and physical blows one after another. It is really difficult to predict his future state after his comeback.