Pelicans' Willie Green gets real on 82-game season amid fresh Zion Williamson injury
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The New Orleans Pelicans are trying to stay positive amid a rash of injuries to start the 2024-25 NBA schedule. Dejounte Murray (hand), Trey Murphy III (hamstring), CJ McCollum (abductor), and Herb Jones (shoulder) will be missing from Willie Green’s rotations until at least mid-November. Others will be looking at December return dates, at best. Even Zion Williamson (thigh) and Jordan Hawkins (back) are banged up going into a home tilt against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Looking for excuses helps no one but some fall far shorter of passing the smell test than others. Willie Green gave a sly smile before addressing those trying to blame an 82-game schedule for the NBA’s injury woes. Just two weeks into the season? Not on Green’s watch.
“I'm good with 82 games. I think that's what makes the NBA special,” Green admitted. “You know you got some teams that will start off hot, some teams that start off cold. You got to grind through the middle of the season and then you’ve got to finish the season well. Now we've added the NBA Play-In Tournament, which has teams six through ten or eleven battling it out (to the end of the season). So I get it that there are some injuries happening but I think 82 games is still good with me.”
Williamson and Hawkins were ruled out hours before tipoff. Unfortunately, Green is still not exactly sure what exactly happened to Williamson, or when, just that the Pelicans’ medical team is on the case.
“No, I don't. I don't know exactly how it occurred,” shared Green. “(Williamson) showed up and said he felt a little something. We wanted to make sure we got a look at it.”
Pelicans getting a look at key reserves
Wille Green has got no time to cry about another cursed season. The fourth-year coach stressed there are no concerns with Zion Williamson as the Pelicans embark upon a six-month slugfest with the rest of the Western Conference. Not all wins, or losses, will be pretty. Not while four-fifths of the starting lineup is watching from the sidelines. Green has used six different starting lineups over the first eight games, giving the reserves plenty of time to make an impression.
A next-man-up mentality is the message, and some players are reaping the rewards. Jose Alvarado is getting spot starts but will always be best as a bench spark plug. Pelicans rookie Yves Missi is gaining momentum in the Rookie of the Year race and, per Green, may have won the starting job for the rest of the season. Coach explained why after a recent Pelicans shootaround.
“We wanted to be a bit faster in the starting lineup,” Green said. “Hawkins and Jose bring speed. Yves brings a ton of youth and speed. He also is a really good rim protector, defender, and communicator which helps that group. That was the thought behind it. We liked what we saw so far and we’ll probably continue it.”
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