After Dejounte Murray broke his hand, the Pelicans were once again faced with the task of overcoming the injury problem

NEW ORLEANS — As Dejounte Murray felt his team putting the finishing touches on a 123-111 victory in his New Orleans Pelicans debut Wednesday night, the veteran point guard kept feeling a much sharper feeling in his left hand.

As the clock ticked down, he continued to move his hand, hoping the pain would go away. After one of his teammates asked if he was OK, Murray finally articulated the thoughts that were running through his head:

“I think I might have broken my hand.”

Even after letting the words leave his mouth, Murray refused to accept them. He appeared to have suffered the injury about five minutes before the end of the fourth quarter, but did not leave the game until one minute remained.

“He looked at me and said his hand didn’t feel right,” Pelicans guard CJ McCollum said. “He fought through it. He played and performed well under the circumstances.”

I think this might be the play when Dejounte Murray injured his left hand.

As Josh Giddey tries to pass him, Murray's hand gets caught on Giddey's chest/jersey. pic.twitter.com/APHYK2b15E

– Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) October 24, 2024

During that stretch, Murray even had an assist on a Brandon Ingram layup and a couple of free throws after he was fouled while shooting a three-pointer. He capped off what was supposed to be a successful night in his first appearance as a member of the Pelicans with 14 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists – and most importantly, a win.

But when he went to the locker room and spoke to the team doctors, they confirmed his worst fears. According to a league source, images taken after the game showed a fracture in his left hand that will keep the Pelicans' starting point guard and biggest offseason signing out for the foreseeable future. The severity of the injury and timeline will be determined at a later date.

After spending the entire offseason learning how to handle Murray as the leader of the offense, the Pelicans will have to adjust again after just one regular-season game.

It's heartbreaking news for a New Orleans team that entered the season with hopes of returning to the postseason and rebuilding its foundation around a new outfielder who brings tremendous value on and off the field. But it is even more difficult for Murray, who played with a heavy heart before the opening game on Wednesday.

Dejounte just posted this on IG.

Dejounte is currently not with the team due to personal problems. The status for the start of the season has yet to be determined.

Prayers for Dejounte pic.twitter.com/ETwvrHTBOn

– Brady (@sideshowbrady) October 22, 2024

Murray missed several days of practice earlier this week after leaving the team due to a family emergency. He returned to New Orleans on Tuesday night to make sure he could play for his team in Wednesday's opener. After being off the field for a few days, he seemed to have a hard time finding his rhythm on offense, but he did all the little things on the field to make sure his impact was still felt.

That's one of the reasons New Orleans pursued Murray so persistently: his toughness, selflessness and willingness to do whatever it takes to win.

For Murray, overcoming heartbreak and impossible odds is nothing new. It's something he's dealt with his entire life. This should be another obstacle that he will eventually overcome.

“Hopefully he won’t be out for too long. But for us, it’s just a matter of figuring out how we can produce across the board while other guys are constantly getting minutes,” McCollum said. “Men are ready for more opportunities whenever they arise. … It's unfortunate that injuries are part of the game, but they happen sometimes. That’s why you need depth in your squad to be able to compete in an 82-game season.”

But what situation will Murray face when he returns?

Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson missed Wednesday's opening game due to an illness that has sidelined him in recent days. As New Orleans prepares to leave for a four-game trip to the West Coast on Thursday afternoon, it's still unclear whether Williamson will be healthy enough to join the team for the flight.

New Orleans was already without sharpshooter Trey Murphy, who signed a four-year contract extension worth $112 million on Monday, because of a hamstring strain he suffered earlier this month. Murphy has made good progress in his rehab but is expected to be at least a few weeks away from returning to the field.

“I don’t know if you all have been following our training camp, but we’ve been going through this for weeks,” McCollum joked. “You just control what you can control. …I'm just worried about today. Tomorrow has enough problems on its own.”

Even if Williamson returns relatively soon, being without Murray and Murphy for an extended period of time will be a difficult hurdle for a group that lost key backups Naji Marshall and Dyson Daniels in the offseason.

When injuries have hit this team in the past, these two have easily stepped in and contributed heavily. Now younger players like Jordan Hawkins and Yves Missi are being asked to take on larger roles along with experienced newcomer Javonte Green.

With the wealth of talent this team has with guys like McCollum, Ingram, Herb Jones and Jose Alvarado, they have enough to stay competitive and keep the ship afloat until Williamson, Murray and Murphy are fully healthy, but that won't be easy.

To make matters even more complex, any slip-up that arises as a result of these injuries could have a significant impact on a Western Conference playoff race that will be incredibly competitive throughout the season. As New Orleans learned the hard way last season, missing a winnable game or two on the road can be the difference between having a home-field advantage and making the play-in tournament – or being eliminated from the playoffs.

For the Pelicans, fighting through this adversity and finding ways to pile up wins will be crucial to achieving their ultimate goal.

But without Murray, this team will continue its uphill battle to create chemistry and cohesion with a group that hasn't yet spent much time on the court together.

Murphy has been out since early October. Ingram missed the first two preseason games to physically prepare for the regular season. Williamson also sat out the final game of the preseason.

So far, Williamson, Murray and Ingram have never stepped on the court together in a game situation.

Once Williamson is back, there will be an adjustment period. Then again when Murphy gets back. And again: Murray is finally returning.

As other teams in the West establish an identity and lay the foundation for how they want to perform in March and April, the Pelicans must continue to have a moving target.

For a franchise that has already struggled with so many injuries in recent years, this result on opening night had to be upsetting. Pelicans fans often joke that their team is cursed because of all the adversity they have faced. Once something like that happens on opening night, it confirms all the feelings of inevitability when bad news arrives.

But much like Murray, constantly dealing with adversity and immense hardship has hardened this group. They have responded very well in the past when there was depressing injury news or when key members of the rotation weren't there to contribute.

It's not ideal, but this group has a lot of experience reacting when their backs are against the wall. Now is the time to show that this current group is capable of doing so.

(Photo of Dejounte Murray supported by teammates while protecting his injured left hand: Gerald Herbert / Associated Press)