The New Orleans Pelicans did not get the start to Summer League they were looking for, as they got blown out by the Trail Blazers and rookie Dyson Daniels had to leave with an ankle injury.
It was an ugly game all around, as the Pelicans scored just 68 points and shot 12 percent from the 3-point line. There wasn’t much ball movement and they never got into anything close to a flow on offense, notching just nine points AS A TEAM in the 3rd quarter. Woof.
But the worst news was the injury to Daniels, who rolled his ankle after stepping on the foot of a defender on an out-of-control take to the rim in the 2nd quarter.
Daniels limped to the bench and eventually to the locker room after only eight minutes and scoring just one point on a free throw. So far the news has been positive, as the X-rays were negative.
Dyson Daniels has a right ankle sprain, according to the Pelicans. X-rays were negative. He will not return tonight.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 10, 2022
It certainly wasn’t the ideal start but Dyson Daniels’ injury should not be a killer for him or the New Orleans Pelicans.
New Orleans Pelicans: Dyson Daniels’ unfortunate injury is a setback
Rookies need reps, so missing time is not ideal and it’s now likely that we will not see Dyson Daniels again in Summer League.
He is a guy who is expected to crack the Pelicans’ depth chart, so losing any amount of chemistry-building is a blow for the rookie.
But as long as this is a mild ankle sprain (knock on wood) Daniels has plenty of time to recover. Being shut down for a few weeks is not the end of the world, and better this injury come now than later in the preseason when it might cost him actual games.
Even if he is recovered, this could keep him out of the rotation at least initially, as he was already going to be battling for minutes.
Luckily the Pelicans have the depth chart to absorb it, unlike last season, when they got off to a horrendous start largely due to the injury to Zion Williamson.
Going into the season healthy is paramount for the Pelicans, but they are in a much better position than they were last season when it comes to depth.
Hopefully this was just a minor tweak and we’ll see Daniels again soon, but even if he has to miss some time, getting him 100 percent healthy is the most important thing and it shouldn’t kill the Pelicans.