I think it’s safe to say I owe Dejounte Murray an apology following the New Orleans Pelicans' 123-120 opening-night loss. After publishing an article questioning where Murray fit with this team, what his future held, and whether he even deserved to start the team's opener, I can say he was by far the biggest standout. Murray finished the game with 23 points, three rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and three blocks in 34 minutes.
After a so-so first quarter, he did a great job adjusting and really led the Pelicans through the second quarter and into halftime. Murray showed he’s still got a lot of great play in the tank, and while fans can be upset about the result of the game, they should be thrilled with what DJM gave the Pelicans in this one.
Murray shut me up
Following the preseason, I was a big advocate for Jeremiah Fears to be the team's starting point guard on opening night, even if that meant Murray had to be the team's sixth man. That was very wrong of me, and the opening five or so minutes of this game made that clear. Fears still looked nervous after getting the call to start, and his defensive discipline was brutal. The sophomore showed his age, picking up three quick fouls and shifting the entire guard-play focus for the Pelicans onto the veteran. Murray answered the bell not just with his scoring but also defensively.
Murray hasn’t been viewed as an elite defender since his days in San Antonio, but throughout the game, he was making big plays for the Pelicans defensively. Whether it was picking off passes like a cornerback or making a hustle play to block a layup in transition and diving out of bounds to save the possession for New Orleans, his energy on that end was infectious.
The way he was picking up opposing players all night can’t be a footnote. It really showed the type of leader he wants to be. There were times when the camera cut to Murray coaching up his teammates in a huddle, but he also understands the best way to lead is by example. That’s exactly what he did defensively.
The other thing about Murray’s performance that I can’t fail to mention was his efficiency. Since he joined the Pelicans, his efficiency as a scorer has been iffy, but Wednesday night it was far from iffy.
Murray shot 9-of-18 from the field, 2-of-5 from beyond the arc, and made all three free-throw attempts. In games like the one New Orleans just opened the season with against Indiana, where it’s super back-and-forth, staying efficient and in control can be hard. But Murray was, and that’s just another reason why Jamahl Mosley puts so much trust in him to lead this team at the point.
I’ve typically been a Dejounte Murray defender, and that’s well documented, but I got sucked into the propaganda that it was potentially time to move on from him. That was a mistake, and for that I’m sorry.
Add us as a preferred source on Google