Key Pelicans wing to miss start of season

Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III is likely to miss the start of the regular season with a right hamstring strain, per ESPN insider Tim MacMahon.  

New Orleans announced Thursday that Murphy suffered the strain during their training camp in Nashville, Tennesse. After an MRI confirmed his injury, Murphy will be re-evaluated in "approximately three weeks."

Modern NBA history suggests that a hamstring strain is a tricky injury that could hinder a player for extended periods of a season. As such, Murphy's three-week recovery timeline does not guarantee his availability for the season opener against the Bulls on Oct. 23 or the first few months of the season. 

If Murphy's injury lingers through the season, it could be a devastating blow for a Pelicans team hoping to build on its 49-win season last year. New Orleans was on track to finish a top-five seed last season before injuries to Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram derailed its momentum. 

Murphy was a key cog of the team that finished with the seventh seed, averaging 14.8 points and 4.9 rebounds while shooting 38 percent from three. Upon making at least 150 threes for a second consecutive season, Murphy joined teammate CJ McCollum as the only player in franchise history to reach the mark. Furthermore, Murphy also showed a ton of growth as a defensive player, keeping opponents to 42.2 percent shooting as the closest defender, per Second Spectrum. 

Many analysts had forecasted the three-and-D specialist to take another leap this season, especially with him being eligible for a contract extension before the Oct. 21 deadline. However, the latest injury could dampen Murphy's personal growth and the Pelicans' standing in a difficult Western Conference. 

In Murphy´s absence, Pelicans head coach Willie Green could rely heavily on second-year wing Jordan Hawkins and rookie big man Karlo Matkovic. The Pelicans are projected to start Ingram, Williamson, Herb Jones, Dejounte Murray and Daniel Theis, with McCollum potentially coming off the bench.