Pelicans’ Dejounte Murray opens up on major challenge amid return from injury

After 13 grueling months rehabilitating a ruptured right Achilles tendon, Dejounte Murray’s return to the New Orleans Pelicans lineup has provided an unmistakable spark. The All-Star has injected new life into a locker room that had been searching for an identity throughout the season. James Borrego and Zion Williamson are two of many within the organization very thankful their point guard is still very much engaged with longterm gameplan.

However, the 29-year-old admitted the process of returning to form late in the year has been far from simple.

“I feel great mentally, physically, spiritually, you know,” Murray stressed. “Just really taking it one day at a time, but this thing’s a challenge, you know what I mean? It’s a challenge just getting back into the flow of things.”

Getting reacclimated to NBA speeds with the Pelicans in their situation has actually given Murray (16 points, 5.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds) a new appreciation for every opportunity.

“Coming back with only 20-some games left is really different because you catch a different perspective of things,” explained Murray. “Some teams are doing this, other teams are doing that, players in, players out. So for me, just trying to take it one day at a time and get better each and every day.”

Borrego kept an open mind about Murray’s timeline, allowing the interim coach to consider any contributions a welcome surprise. It’s just one way the Pelicans can find silver linings amid a lost season.

“I didn’t really know what to expect, to be honest,” Borrego confessed. “I never tried to get ahead of it. I just kind of live in the moment, see where (Murray) is at, but he’s been impressive. I mean, just physically impressive to go do this. The fact that he’s out there doing this, same for (Jayson Tatum), you know, doing his thing. It’s impressive what these young men have done, the dedication they both have put in.”

Williamson and Murray worked the group chat to keep everyone connected amid the challenges, and that chemistry is paying immediate on-court dividends.

“As a brother, it’s good to have him back on the court,” Williamson said. “Even though we were checking on him, he was checking on us twice as much, making sure everybody’s mental was straight, making sure everybody was good, and checking on the state of the team.”

For Murray, the biggest hurdle remains rediscovering his rhythm in meaningful late-season games. That will have to wait until next season. The condensed window leaves little room for gradual adjustment, especially for a team still trying to find consistency down the stretch. For the Pelicans, the 3-3 record with Murray is a reminder of how much unrelenting leadership can influence both the locker room and the scoreboard.

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