The New Orleans Pelicans could feel like they have a new player this year, just by Dejounte Murray hitting the ground running at full health.
The lack of roster movement for the New Orleans Pelicans this offseason has been one of the biggest talking points for those down on how the front office approached the past few months.
That doesn't mean they'll have the same team as last year, though, as some of their own players could feel like new additions just by staying healthy. Dejounte Murray is one of the best examples. He played in just 14 games last season, had staggered minutes, couldn't play in back-to-backs and still showcased how much of a positive impact he can make during games.
It has been two years since the Pelicans traded away a haul to the Atlanta Hawks for Murray, and it has never really felt like they got the player that they were looking for. His first 31 games were uncharacteristically inefficient, and the defense was actually worse with him on the floor. Then he suffered a torn Achilles, and it cost him over an entire calendar year.
Murray looked like a renewed man when he finally returned to the court, though. He posted 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.6 steals on 48.4/30.6/86.7 shooting splits. The team will obviously hope to see an increase in three-point shooting. Murray shot 36.3% on 7.1 attempts per game in his final year with the Atlanta Hawks, but it was a very promising stretch.
Per CleaningTheGlass, New Orleans was 8.2 points better per 100 possessions with Murray on the court last season, with both sides of the ball looking considerably better with him on it. That was fresh off injury recovery and without being able to build a real rhythm due to built-in minutes restrictions.
Now, Murray has had an entire offseason to prepare and is entering the year with a new coaching staff that should heavily value what the guard brings to the court. Being able to have his presence on defense should immediately make them better. He is also an immense competitor who is determined to return to the postseason by any means.
The question, as training camp approaches, isn't whether Murray is going to be starting, but whether Jeremiah Fears or Herb Jones will be starting alongside him. Murray can play both on-ball and off-ball, so staff will be able to put him wherever their vision sees fit. Having him from the jump this year should make a major difference.
