Grading Dejounte Murray's debut: the Pelicans have a point guard

Dejounte Murray was one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. He began his league journey from a place of humility, drafted 29th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2016 draft. Under legendary Head Coach Gregg Popovich, he steadily nurtured his game with the Spurs before breaking out in his sixth year.

By the time he was ready to be a star, his timeline no longer fit San Antonio's and they traded him away to the Atlanta Hawks for a haul. Freed from the rigidity of the Spurs' system, he was able to make a name for himself outside of San Antonio, although his reputation mostly tanked. Pundits dissected the crass, cocky personality he displayed in offseason runs and criticized his lack of impact in Atlanta. Despite a down year, the New Orleans Pelicans decided to take a chance on him this past summer and traded for him, ending his tenure as a Hawk after just one season.

There may not have been a single player whose overall stock and approval rating plummeted as much as Dejounte Murray's after last year. It was no surprise when he openly expressed how happy he was to be in New Orleans with a chance at a fresh start. Many detractors have already written off the Pelicans and Dejounte Murray, stating that he's an empty stats player with redundant skills for what New Orleans needs. In his debut, he set out to prove those dissenters wrong.

Dejounte Murray Pelicans' debut grade: C+

Dejounte Murray stuffed the stat sheet in his debut game for the Pelicans, nearly nabbing a triple-double on the night with 14 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds. He also tallied a steal.

The reason for his low grade was his inefficiency. He went just 4-15 from the field, settling for a lot of tough midrange jumpers and awkward runners in congested driving lanes.

Despite his poor shooting night, though, Dejounte was able to showcase exactly why the Pelicans traded for him despite already rostering plenty of offensive weapons with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum. Up to this point, the Pelicans had lacked a true floor general, someone who could push the pace, collapse defenses, and pass teammates open. Zion, BI, and CJ are all apt passers and secondary playmakers, but none of them are natural point guards.

In Atlanta, Murray spent most of his playing time deferring to Trae Young, becoming much more of a combo guard and scorer with the Hawks. Last season made people forget that Dejounte was strictly a point guard in San Antonio and even notched 9.2 assists per game in 2021-22.

Well, he reminded the NBA world with aplomb tonight, repeatedly getting the Pelicans out on the break and making the right reads, finishing with just one turnover to his 10 assists. He also displayed a renewed sense of urgency on defense compared to his Hawks days. In Green's system, predicated on aggressive help defense and crisp rotations, Murray was constantly active, playing in the gaps and even directing his teammates.

For most starting guards, Murray's night would have been an easy B or even an A- for some. But he's a true star, someone who can dominate on both ends of the court on any given night. This was a C+ game for Dejounte Murray — at best — and that should be a scary thought for the Pelicans' future opponents.

UPDATE: Dejounte Murray suffered a hand injury in his Pelicans debut. Shams Charania reported there is worry about a fracture. It will likely keep the star point guard sidelined for multiple weeks and certainly spoiled his debut. New Orleans will have to make it work without him in the interim, but it won't be easy.