Pelicans take another hit as Trey Murphy III is done for the season
The New Orleans Pelicans have been battered by injuries this season. Brandon Ingram played just 18 games before he was traded at the deadline. Offseason acquisition Dejounte Murray played just 31 games before a torn Achilles ended his season. Herb Jones has played in just 20 games and is already done for the season with a shoulder injury. Zion Williamson has played just 29 games.
One of the bright spots of all those injuries was the continued emergence of Trey Murphy III, who stepped forward as a primary offense weapon, averaging 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game, on a 59.8 true shooting percentage. And ... wouldn't you know it ... he's now done for the year as well.
Murphy III dislocated his shoulder against the Pistons on Monday night, in the process suffering a torn labrum and partial tear of his rotator cuff. According to the Pelicans, this will end his season. The silver lining, if there is one, is that he's already taken the leap and now New Orleans doesn't have to worry about him accidentally ruining their draft position. They currently have the fourth-best odds at the No. 1 pick but are just three games in back of the Utah Jazz for the worst record in the league.
Bradley Beal just makes things harder for the Suns
The Suns have been the hottest of messes this season — expected to compete for a championship but sitting at No. 11 in the Western Conference as of this writing, with a 32-37 record. Their big three hasn't worked as planned but Bradley Beal had actually been doing his part this season. He'd appeared in 48 games, on track to blow past his total from the previous four season. He'd transitioned to a role off the bench for stretches, all without causing waves. His per-game numbers had dropped off a bit, but was still averaging 17.3 points, 3.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds, shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from beyond the arc.
But the Suns have announced that he's suffering from a hamstring strain and will be out for at least the next week.
This couldn't come at a worse time for the Suns, who fighting just to hold a place in the Play-In Tournament. The rapid disintegration of the Dallas Mavericks seemed like it would remove some pressure but the Mavs are currently a game ahead of them in the standings with the potential return of Anthony Davis and Jaden Hardy on the horizon. The schedule won't do the Suns any favors, with games against the Pacers, Pistons and Nets coming this week. If Beal's absence extends into next week, he could miss games against the Knicks, Magic and Bulls.
Domantas Sabonis injury couldn't come at a worse time for the Kings
The Sacramento Kings are in a similar position to the Suns, with only a slightly better outlook. They're currently 34-33, No. 9 in the West — two games in front of the Mavericks and three games ahead of the Suns. Climbing out of Play-In range is almost certainly out of reach but slipping out entirely is very much a possibility, especially with the latest news about Domantas Sabonis.
Sabonis left Monday's win over Memphis early after taking a hit to the face that required stitches and then rolling his ankle. As of now, there is no timeline for his recovery but even missing a week could be extremely costly.
The Kings have six more games on this homestand that includes matchups with the Cavaliers, Bucks, Celtics and Thunder. After that, they have a six-game East Coast road trip before returning for their final three games at home — crucial matchups against the Nuggets, Clippers and Suns to close the regular season.
That's a brutal run and the Kings have struggled this season anytime Sabonis hasn't been on the floor — getting outscored by an average 4.4 points per 100 possessions. The only good news is that he's the only player currently listed on the Kings injury report, but they'll still have their work cut out for them keeping heads above water until he can return.