Authors of a series of seven victories then four defeats, the Pelicans are a bit in roller coaster mode at the moment. Roller coaster in which Brandon Ingram does not participate, he who has been squatting in the infirmary since the end of November. The return of the All-Star, when is it?
This is a question that weighs more and more on the side of New Orleans.
According to William Guillory of The Athletic, frustration mounts within the Louisiana franchise around the case Brandon Ingram, who remains on 12 consecutive missed games because of his sore in the big toe of the left foot. A frustration that has its source in the duration of the absence obviously, but especially in the uncertainty surrounding his future return.
The Pelicans’ four-game losing streak has been a sobering reminder of Brandon Ingram’s importance, @WillGuillory writes.
But the question looms:
When will he return?https://t.co/nv3GKogTzd pic.twitter.com/Vu5CCCilNR
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) December 22, 2022
On December 13, the day the Pelicans began an ugly four-game losing streak, we learned that Ingram had suffered a relapse in his rehabilitation. Initially, there was no return date set for Brandon, and we weren’t really expecting such a long absence. With this relapse, we already know thatIngram will not play Friday’s game against the Thunder and we doubt he’ll be back anytime soon after Christmas.
“We continue to evaluate him to try to put in place a plan and a return date. He’s making progress. It’s just that the process is taking longer than expected.”
– Le coach Willie Green, via The Athletic
When Zion Williamson and the Pelicans were rolling over everyone between Nov. 28 and Dec. 11, Brandon Ingram’s absence wasn’t exactly a sensitive topic. But it has been since the air hole of the last ten days (two defeats in Utah, one in Phoenix and one against Milwaukee). Because yes, the Pels really need BI if they want to shake up the hierarchy in the Western Conference.
Ingram remains a capital piece of New Orleans through his scoring and creative abilities ball in hand (20.8 points, 4.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds on average this season, 47% shooting including 47% from 3-pointers), especially on half-court. And this is particularly what is currently lacking in the Pelicans, who must also manage without Zion now given that the latter has just entered the NBA health protocol.
We also remind you that the New Orleans team is always a work-in-progress, with a balance that remains to be found when the group is complete. Just FYI, Ingram, Zion and CJ McCollum only played 10 games together since the latter joined Louisiana during the trade deadline last season.
Suffice to say that there are still a lot of automatisms to work on. But for that, Brandon Ingram would have to leave the infirmary one day…
____
Source texte : The Athletic