With NBA media and training camp taking place tomorrow, the hype around the 2025-26 season for the New Orleans Pelicans has never been higher. With his first offseason in charge of the Pelicans coming to an end, Joe Dumars made some comments that Pelicans fans should be excited about during his preseason press conference.
One of the major storylines entering next season is the potential concerns surrounding Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones, who had both had their seasons cut short due to injury in 2024-25. Thankfully, for Pelicans fans, Joe Dumars provided an extremely positive update regarding both the talented wings.
Dumars spoke on how both Jones and Murphy have been back to full game speed over the last several weeks leading into training camp.
"Those guys have been scrimmaging for the last two to three weeks nonstop. I've seen those guys get knocked down, crash to the floor, everything, and so those guys have been back on the court and full speed for several weeks now."
Getting an update like this should have fans feeling good about next season, as with both Murphy III and Jones healthy, the Pelicans have a legit chance at being a playoff team in the West. They bring so much to the Pelicans as elite two-way players, and they provide a massive boost to their defense and three-point shooting, two things this group struggled with immensely last season.
The Pelicans need Jones and Murphy to remain healthy to reach their ceiling.
Zion Williamson's health is arguably the most crucial factor in the Pelicans' success, but you could make an argument that Murphy III and Jones' health may be just as important, if not more so. They provide the Pelicans with so much versatility and length on the wing and create matchup nightmares for opposing teams.
Whether Williamson stays healthy enough to play 60+ games this season or not, it won't matter if Murphy III and Jones don't also stay healthy. They are the perfect players to complement Williamson and help him take this group to new heights, as they have skillsets that mask his flaws. Murphy III is an elite shooter who shot 36.7 percent from deep last season, and Jones is by far a top-5 defender in the league when healthy.
With both players under contract until 2029, the future looks extremely bright in New Orleans if they can stay healthy. Who knows if the injury gods remain in the Pelicans' favor, they may even go on a run to the postseason.