New Orleans Pelicans combo guard Tyreke Evans will likely miss the remainder of the season, after the Pelicans confirmed that Evans requires knee surgery. Evans has missed the last seven games with right knee tendinitis.
Evans, a six year veteran, has averaged 15.2 points, 6.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds in 25 games this season. The Pelicans really could have used those numbers down the stretch, as the team looks to sneak into the playoffs.
The Pelicans currently sit 7.5 games back of the eighth seed in the Western Conference, and just can’t put together an extended stretch of good games. Evans will be sorely missed by this Pelicans team, but his injury does bring up the point that some of the players on this Pelicans team may just be too much of an injury risk to have around. What does that mean, exactly? Well, the Pelicans roster is built to support star player Anthony Davis, but several of the players seem to be injury prone.
Evans will miss the rest of the season, and this definitely isn’t his first injury. Point guard Jrue Holiday hasn’t been fully healthy since his time in Philadelphia. Shooting guard Eric Gordon is another Pelican who never seems to be healthy. All of these injuries lead to one thing for the Pelicans: instability. There are very few situations worse than having an unstable roster in the NBA. So besides the players striking or flying to the wrong city, New Orleans is currently dealing with its worst case scenario.
The Pelicans need to consider making big changes, not only in player personnel, but also with regards to the team’s culture. The team always approaches the season the same way: try to make the playoffs, and hope Anthony Davis wins the MVP. Neither will happen this season, and it’s not Davis’s fault. The players around Davis just aren’t good enough. The coaching staff could have done more before the season even started by putting more reliable players around Davis, but head coach Alvin Gentry had faith in his guys, who don’t fit his own system and spend more time watching games than playing in them.
The Pelicans can be their own worst enemy at times, and they need to adapt and change if they want to be successful – especially in today’s NBA.
