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In Street Clothes

Covering sports injuries from the perspective of a certified athletic trainer and backed by analytics.

New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans remain a competitive team limited by injuries to their top talent. The 2022-23 season was more of the same as the Pelicans were 23-13 and tied for the second best record in the Western Conference when the calendar changed to 2023. Unfortunately, Zion Williamson suffered a hamstring strain on January 2 and went on to miss the remainder of the season. Zion’s absence overlapped with a big toe injury for Brandon Ingram and in total the duo would combine to miss a total of 90 man games to injury or illness.

In 2019, Aaron Nelson was named Vice President of Player Care and Performance. Nelson, who was an integral part in the heralded success of the Phoenix Suns medical staff, was tasked with turning around a group that historically had struggled with injuries. Unfortunately, it appears Nelson and Williamson never completely meshed and reportedly had a “strained relationship.”  As a result, the Pelicans front office restructured the medical team in the offseason, shifting Nelson to an advisory role. Head Athletic Trainer Tom Maystadt remains and will be joined by newly hired Director of Rehabilitation Dr. Amy Atmore. The new look group enters the year with Trey Murphy rehabbing from a torn meniscus and several other players including Jose Alvarado, Larry Nance Jr., and Naji Marshall nursing injuries of their own.

14 thoughts on “New Orleans Pelicans”
  1. […] of the Western Conference. The problems are further frustrating as they come on the heels of a top-10 finish for fewest games missed to injury in head athletic trainer Duane Brooks’ first year on the job. For comparison’s sake, last […]

  2. […] That “pot” includes 183 games missed because of injuries this season. Anderson, who was sidelined for 60 games in 2013-14 after having surgery to address a herniated cervical disc and 21 games in 2014-15, has managed to stay out of it thus far, sitting out two games this season because of illness. But he lamented the losses the team has faced in his four season in New Orleans — including Tyreke Evans (right knee), whom Anderson described as a “catalyst” for last season’s playoff run — during which the team has ranked inside the top five in missed games twice, according to InStreetClothes.com. […]

  3. […] in games lost to injury more than they have finished above average in games won, according to InStreetClothes.com. This season, the number of DNPs on their injury list has become as prolific as the Warriors’ […]

  4. […] in games lost to injury more than they have finished above average in games won, according to InStreetClothes.com. This season, the number of DNPs on their injury list has become as prolific as the Warriors’ […]

  5. […] in games lost to injury more than they have finished above average in games won, according to InStreetClothes.com. This season, the number of DNPs on their injury list has become as prolific as the Warriors’ […]

  6. A Guide to NBA Lone Stars - THE SPORT HALL January 18, 2017 on 4:16 pm

    […] season, Pelicans players missed 351 games due to injury, per In Street Clothes. It was the highest mark in the association and more than twice the league average. Naturally, the […]

  7. […] his five seasons in New Orleans and the injuries didn’t stop with him. According to the site InStreetClothes.com, the Pelicans have had more players miss games due to injury than 66% of their NBA rivals […]

  8. […] his five seasons in New Orleans and the injuries didn’t stop with him. According to the site InStreetClothes.com, the Pelicans have had more players miss games due to injury than 66% of their NBA rivals […]

  9. […] his five seasons in New Orleans and the injuries didn’t stop with him. According to the site InStreetClothes.com, the Pelicans have had more players miss games due to injury than 66% of their NBA rivals […]

  10. […] both the 2011-12 and 2015-16 seasons, the Pelicans had the most games missed due to injury in the NBA. Their 351 games missed due to injury in 2015-16 were the most this […]

  11. […] in recent years. In 2016-17, per Stotts’ account-maintaining, the Pelicans completed with the 1/Three-highest entire of video games misplaced on account of player damage. And that used to be a drastic […]

  12. […] in recent years. In 2016-17, according to Stotts’ record-keeping, the Pelicans finished with the third-highest total of games lost due to player injury. And that was a drastic improvement. In 2015-16, the […]

  13. […] in recent years. In 2016-17, according to Stotts’ record-keeping, the Pelicans finished with the third-highest total of games lost due to player injury. And that was a drastic improvement. In 2015-16, the […]

  14. […] recent years. In 2016-17, according to Stotts’ record-keeping, the Pelicans finished with the third-highest total of games lost due to player injury. And that was a drastic improvement. In 2015-16, the […]

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