<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/why-pelicans-cannot-move-dejounte-murray-before-nba-trade-deadline-dyson-daniels-draft-assets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Pelicans cannot move Dejounte Murray before NBA Trade Deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Why-Pelicans-cannot-move-Dejounte-Murray-before-NBA-Trade-Deadline.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Pelicans cannot move Dejounte Murray before NBA Trade Deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-18T18:18:59-08:00">December 18th, 6:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-18T18:18:59-08:00">December 18th, 6:18pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-pelicans-open-trade-business-3-exceptions">New Orleans Pelicans are fielding calls</a> for practically everyone on the roster according to several reports. Fans can rest easy knowing Herb Jones, Yves Missi, and Trey Murphy III are seemingly safe. Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Dejounte Murray, and CJ McCollum could be on the move if the price is right. That exception is why Murray is the most unlikely to change addresses before the season ends.</p><p>Williamson and Ingram are former All-Stars with injury concerns and questionable contract statuses. Someone will still take a swing, especially small market teams unable to attract All-Star free agents. Soon-to-be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-player-traded-veteran-nba-deadline">Pelicans’ sixth man CJ McCollum is a mid-tier addition</a> on a team-friendly deal but not a second option on any title contender. Still, each would command at least a prospect, some salary filler, and a first-round pick plus options in a negotiation. Well, that is what it cost to acquire Murray and the 28-year-old’s stock has dipped since joining the Pelicans.</p><p>Murray is averaging 16.6 points, 6.8 assists, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.7 steals/blocks over the first 10 games with New Orleans. The Pelicans knew there would be an adjustment period even without the rash of injuries. However, 4.2 turnovers every 33 minutes is a problem no team with postseason aspirations can overcome. Murray <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1627749" rel="noopener">posting career lows</a> in practically every major category, 28.1% from three-point range for example, is another knock.</p><p>Even fouls per game are at an all-time high (that’s a bad thing) for someone with Murray’s defensive reputation. It’s hard to see a return on the level of Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., and two first-round picks for Murray being recouped by the Pelicans. New Orleans would find few, if any, front offices with that package to offer and also a pressing need to bring Murray into the fold.</p><h2>Dejounte Murray’s market limits Pelicans options</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Dejounte-Murray-Pelicans-1.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Golden State Warriors are no longer shopping for a ballhandler after nabbing Dennis Schroder and a second-rounder for De’Anthony Melton and three second-round picks. Every other contender (Top 10 record) has their point guard of the future already in the starting lineup.</p><p>Selling low on Dejounte Murray before the NBA trade deadline would be a risky move for EVP David Griffin’s front office. Murray’s underwhelming performance so far is an outlier that most contenders could overlook, sure. None will be easily convinced to send back a prospect like Dyson Daniels, a veteran with Larry Nance Jr.’s leadership, or two first-round draft picks.</p><p>Would the Los Angeles Lakers still want to part ways with De’Angelo Russell and draft picks? Could the Orlando Magic call in need of reinforcements? Trying to drum up a bidding war beyond those two teams is hard to imagine.</p><p>Giving a disgruntled fanbase more ammo and driving away interest while the Smoothie King Center sits mostly empty is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-saints-news-fans-new-side-gayle-benson-amid-losing-seasons">something an assertive Pelicans ownership is going to notice</a>. The significant draft assets invested in acquiring Murray make it difficult to justify a rushed decision. Figuring out Murray’s turnover problems is a more pressing issue than seeking a trade that will likely not yield favorable returns.</p><p>At least it should be. It’s already hard to sell to seemingly give up on Dejounte Murray given what <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-dyson-daniels-nola-cursed-label">Dyson Daniels is doing for the Atlanta Hawks.</a> The Pelicans need to focus on integrating Murray into their system and maximizing his potential alongside other key players like Herb Jones, Yves Missi, and Trey Murphy III. A hasty trade could set back their progress and undermine the franchise’s long-term goals. it would also signal to the fans there is no conviction behind the vision that laid out in exit interviews last summer.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Pelicans cannot move Dejounte Murray before NBA Trade Deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-elfrid-payton-decision-amid-mccollum-murray-injury-returns');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans make Elfrid Payton decision amid CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray injury returns');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NOLA-makes-Elfrid-Payton-decision-amid-CJ-McCollum-Dejounte-Murray-injury-returns.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans make Elfrid Payton decision amid CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray injury returns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-03T14:44:12-08:00">December 3rd, 2:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-03T14:44:39-08:00">December 3rd, 2:44pm</time><address><a>Kris Pursiainen</a>Kris Pursiainen is an Associate Editor for all sports based in the NJ/NYC area. Kris brings several years of experience reporting on and writing about professional teams to the table. With experience all over the country as a New York Knicks, New York Jets, New York Mets, Super Bowl LVIII, and Big East beat reporter, Kris has been breaking news and reporting on the NBA, NFL, MLB, and college basketball landscapes for years. Kris is a proud graduate of Fordham University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The New Orleans Pelicans’ injury woes are lightening up. This leaves the team with decisions to make regarding the players that stepped up in the absence of guards CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray. And in the case of Elfrid Payton, the decision from the team on Tuesday was to waive the veteran guard, <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1864062914811801839" rel="noopener">per ESPN’s Shams Charania</a>.</p><p>“The New Orleans Pelicans are waiving guard Elfrid Payton, sources tell ESPN,” Charania wrote. “Payton averaged 6.7 points, 6.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds in seven games for the Pelicans — including a 14-point, 21-assist performance on Nov. 25.”</p><p>The seven games in New Orleans were Payton’s first at the NBA level since the 2021-22 season, when he averaged 11.0 minutes per game for the Suns. The statement performance Charania alluded to came in the team’s 114-110 loss to the Indiana Pacers on November 25. Payton had <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-elfrid-payton-internet-buzzing-posting-assist-total-pacers">fans of all NBA teams buzzing on social media</a> with his resurgence.</p><h2><b>Payton’s departure from Pelicans marks potential turning point</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Elfrid-Payton-New-Orleans-Pelicans.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Payton did everything the Pelicans asked of him when they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-rewarded-elfrid-payton-years-long-resiliency-nba-return-john-ehret-university-louisiana">called him up from the G-League</a>. With several starting guards injured, he gave the team earnest veteran guard play. But with Murray and McCollum back from injuries, Payton’s role dwindled majorly. After playing only 17 minutes in the team’s 118-85 blowout loss to his former Knicks, the guard played just six minutes during Monday night’s 124-112 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.</p><p>It’s understandable for general manager David Griffin to waive Payton. It’s an acknowledgement that neither party is optimizing their time with the veteran sitting on the bench. But the team needs the move to mark an inflection point in its season.</p><p>The Pelicans are dead last in the Western Conference. They have lost nine straight games. As a result, they sit at 4-18 and have only won one game out of their last ten. The team is 1-11 on the road this season. The list goes on.</p><p>With Brandon Ingram <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-news-pelicans-brandon-ingram-intriguing-move-klutch-sports">apparently willing to jump ship in search of a new contract</a>, Griffin’s vision seems to have just been a mirage. Unless Willie Green and the Pelicans can turn things around now, the team is in danger of having its season become another full of disappointment.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans make Elfrid Payton decision amid CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray injury returns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/hawks-news-quin-snyder-drops-competitive-dejounte-murray-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Hawks’ Quin Snyder drops ‘competitive’ truth bomb ahead of Dejounte Murray return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Hawks-news-Quin-Snyder-drops-competitive-truth-bomb-ahead-of-Dejounte-Murray-return.jpg"></figure><h1>Hawks’ Quin Snyder drops ‘competitive’ truth bomb ahead of Dejounte Murray return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-02T16:49:15-08:00">December 2nd, 4:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-02T16:49:15-08:00">December 2nd, 4:49pm</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Dejounte <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-atlanta-trades-dejounte-murray-pelicans">Murray returns to Atlanta for the first time</a> since being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans during the offseason. Murray was traded to the Hawks and spent two seasons with the team and posted some of his best offensive numbers during that time.</p><p>Before the matchup, head coach Quin Snyder shared some kind words about Murray and what he learned about him as a player.</p><p>“We appreciated everything Dejounte did while he was here and what he provided this franchise,” Snyder said. “From a coaching standpoint, he was always someone [that was] competitive, and I think his competitive spirit is the thing, as much as anything that for me is when I think of Dejounte, that’s what I think of, and we wish him the best.”</p><p>Murray was brought to the Hawks to <a href="https://x.com/ATLHawks/status/1863731783189123461" rel="noopener">help relieve pressure from Trae Young</a>, while also being a defensive stopper in the backcourt. Throughout the two seasons, it came to show that the pairing of Young and Murray wasn’t working, and the Hawks needed to go in a different direction.</p><p>The Hawks ended up trading Murray to the Pelicans for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., E.J. Liddell, and two first-round draft picks. On the Hawks side, it looks like the trade has benefitted them so far in the season, as Daniels has been one of the best defenders in the league, and Nance has become a solid reserve when he’s on the court.</p><p>For the Pelicans, injuries have plagued their season as most of their starting lineup has been sidelined. Murray just returned to the court after missing most of the season with a hand fracture. The hope is when the team is fully healthy, they can string together some wins and make their way through the conference.</p><h2>Dejounte Murray returns to Atlanta for first time since trade</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Dejounte-Murray.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>During the offseason, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hawks-news-trae-young-breaks-silence-on-dejounte-murray-trade">Trae Young spoke about the trade</a> on an episode of Podcast P with Paul George presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment.</p><p>“On the court, it’s just tough. We wanted to win, but sometimes, we’re not the first duo that couldn’t work and we’re not going to be the last,” Young said. “The only bad part, we didn’t get to win as much as we wanted to. The good part is, we have a lifelong relationship. Our relationship goes beyond basketball.</p><p>Young and Murray were able to help the Hawks get to the playoffs in their first season playing together, but they ended up losing to the Boston Celtics in the first round. In the next season, they lost to the Chicago Bulls and the play-in tournament.</p><p>The trade may end up working out for both teams, as the Pelicans needed a true point guard that could get Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson the ball, and the Hawks were looking to add more perimeter defense around Young.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Hawks’ Quin Snyder drops ‘competitive’ truth bomb ahead of Dejounte Murray return

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-cj-mccollum-dejounte-murray-deliver-must-win-injury-statement-raptors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ CJ McCollum joins Dejounte Murray in calling out ‘horrible’ process');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CJ-McCollum-joins-Dejounte-Murray-in-calling-out-horrible-process.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ CJ McCollum joins Dejounte Murray in calling out ‘horrible’ process</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-28T13:11:24-08:00">November 28th, 1:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-28T13:11:24-08:00">November 28th, 1:11pm</time><address><a>Chris Dodson</a>Chris Dodson is a Memphis Grizzlies beat reporter for ClutchPoints who has also covered the New Orleans Pelicans. He has covered Louisiana high school and college basketball in spurts for over a decade. A basketball lifer from the bayou, his gumbo-stirring form matches his elbow jumper celebrations. Fast enough for varsity hoops, tall enough for a soccer scholarship. He has words and will travel, just not on the court.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-willie-green-facing-calamity-close-out-2024-zion-williamson-january-injury-timeline"> New Orleans Pelicans are facing disaster</a> to close out the 2024 calendar year’s schedule. Zion Williamson and Willie Green are starting to feel the heat from the Smoothie King Center’s booing fans and a couple of players might have added field to that fire. Veterans CJ McCollum and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-dejounte-murray-apologizes-to-fans-with-embarrassed-rant">Dejounte Murray delivered apologetic must-win, cannot-lose statements</a> after the Pelicans (4-15) were ripped apart by the Toronto Raptors (5-14).</p><p>Still, McCollum <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipBCr9gMV5E" rel="noopener">made no excuses</a> after being on the bad end of a blowout.</p><p>“I think it’s from top to bottom we have all got to be better,” stated McCollum. “We can’t have these types of showing especially. It was a horrible game, a horrible performance from myself down to the last guy.”</p><p>“It was a horrible showing,” McCollum admitted. “We have got to do a better job and it starts with our approach days before the game. How we execute and practice how our walk-throughs are going, I think it’s just urgency in a lot of things that we just got to get better at. Execution even when there is nobody on the floor, there’s no crowd, and there’s no opponent. We’ve got to get better and all that carries over to performances like tonight.”</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/CJ-McCollum-Pelicans-2.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen Lew-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Dejounte Murray was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6JuCztE6j0&amp;t=329s" rel="noopener">not as diplomatic</a> as McCollum in his assessment.</p><p>“This game was embarrassing. You don’t want these bad habits to build…It’s not really about the loss, [but] how we lost in front of our fans,” Murray explained. “Like, even the fans booing, I mean, what would you do if you were a fan paying your money? You want to come to watch a competitive basketball game, especially from your home team. So, they have all the right to say what they want and feel how they feel. They deserve a better game.”</p><p>CJ McCollum did offer solutions for Green to implement over the next few weeks, starting with a three-game road trip.</p><p>“It starts with practice. It starts with your approach to practice,” McCollum said. “Obviously we’re not going to have a lot of practices because of the schedule, because of the travel. So when we get shootarounds and have those moments where we can get better at things, we have to take advantage of it. Then it has to carry over to the game.”</p><p>“You are going to lose games but we can’t lose how we did tonight,” continued McCollum. “I think that’s the difference. We’ve got to be able to compete. You’ve got to be able to execute the game plan and give yourself a chance to win games. (The Pelicans under Willie Green) have done it in the past. Now we have to do it at a high level immediately because you know there’s not a lot of time in the Western Conference. You can’t get too far behind.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pelicans’ CJ McCollum joins Dejounte Murray in calling out ‘horrible’ process

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/pelicans-news-dejounte-murray-apologizes-to-fans-with-embarrassed-rant');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray apologizes to fans with ’embarrassed’ rant');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Dejounte-Murray-apologizes-to-fans-with-embarrassed-rant.jpg"></figure><h1>Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray apologizes to fans with ’embarrassed’ rant</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-28T06:18:24-08:00">November 28th, 6:18am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-28T06:18:24-08:00">November 28th, 6:18am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Wednesday night, the New Orleans Pelicans team that was in the middle of a five-game losing streak at least got a bit of a win as they saw All-Star guard Dejounte Murray make his much-anticipated return to action after missing 17 games with a broken hand. But that was the only win the Pelicans had on the night, as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-cj-mccollum-first-game-back-injury-cut-corners-defense-shots-not-falling-pacers">Toronto Raptors laughed them off the court</a>, in the friendly confines of Smoothie King Center no less, with New Orleans suffering a disastrous 119-93 defeat.</p><p>Now, the Pelicans can chalk this loss up to the fact that they were missing four of the team’s most important players in Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy, and Herb Jones, not to mention the fact that Jose Alvarado is also on the mend due to a left hamstring injury. But for the returning Murray, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/42655239/dejounte-murray-says-pelicans-embarrassed-latest-loss-raptors" rel="noopener">there are no excuses</a> that will hide the fact that their loss to the Raptors may be their lowest point in a season already filled with them.</p><p>“If you’re not embarrassed and really mad about this, that’s a problem,” Murray said following the game, via ESPN. “It’s not really about the loss, [but] how we lost in front of our fans. Like, even the fans booing — I mean, what would you do if you was a fan paying your money? You want to come watch a competitive basketball game, especially from your home team. So, they got all the rights to say what they want, feel how they feel. They deserve a better game.”</p><p>A season that started out with so much hope is once again going down the gutter for the Pelicans. They have a 4-15 record, the worst in the Western Conference, and given all the injury uncertainties facing them at the moment, they might have to brace for this campaign to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-news-demarcus-cousins-blasts-new-orleans-for-big-zion-williamson-mistake">another lost one.</a></p><h2><b>Dejounte Murray flops in return to Pelicans lineup</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Pelicans-guard-Dejounte-Murray-5-brings-the-ball-up.jpg"></figure><p>Dejounte Murray may have finished with a respectable 14 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals on the night, but he had an absolute nightmare in terms of shooting the basketball in his return to the Pelicans lineup. He salvaged his disastrous game by finishing 5-17 from the field, but at one point, he was 1-12, and that simply will not cut it especially against a Raptors team that ranks in the bottom 10 in the league in defensive rating.</p><p>Better days should be ahead for Murray and the Pelicans, but the 28-year-old’s performance on Wednesday night did not help matters at all for them.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
16.2	6.7	7.6	0.5	2.2

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
16.2	6.7	7.6	0.5	2.2

Dejounte Murray

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Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray apologizes to fans with ’embarrassed’ rant

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