Yesterday evening, Jose Alvarado sustained what appeared to be a neck and back injury while he was representing Puerto Rico at the Americup. Alvarado was taken out on a stretcher after a nasty fall while trying to fight for an offensive rebound.
During the contest, Jose had 25 points and knocked down seven threes, as he was trying to lead Puerto Rico to a semi-final appearance before the injury.
This injury had New Orleans Pelicans fans shook, as Alvarado has been an essential member of this core. However, he made comments that suggest he'll be just fine. Jose made a post to his Instagram story saying, " Appreciate the love yall. But your boy good. God got me (praying hands emoji)"
Jose Alvarado’s IG story tonight. See previous tweet for more pic.twitter.com/CNg1xzrPxL
— Rod Walker (@RodWalkerNola) August 29, 2025
His message was simply that there was nothing to worry about and he would be okay. This statement from Alvarado should ease Pelicans fans, as it likely means they won't be without his consistent spark off the bench for an extended period of time.
Last season in his 55 appearances, Alvarado averaged career highs across the board with his average of 10.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while also shooting just below 36% from three. With the Pelicans front office having their hearts set on a playoff appearance this season, that goal may be hard to reach without Alvarado leading the 2nd unit.
Thankfully Joe Dumars added depth this offseason
Even though all the signs suggest Alvarado may not miss anytime to start next season, Joe Dumars' decision to add depth this offseason is proving to be a smart one. While relying on rookie guard Jeremiah Fears may not be ideal, it's still a good option to have if Jose misses time.
In years past, if someone went down in the offseason, the Pelicans would panic and scramble to try to find a replacement, but that's not the case this summer. Dumars' biggest goal entering this offseason was to add quality depth, and it's looking like the right call.
The Pelicans have far from a perfect roster heading into the 2025-26 season, but one thing they do have is depth. And with this core's injury history, depth is going to be extremely valuable during New Orleans' 82-game slate this season.
Whether Alvarado misses time during the regular season or not, the Pelicans will still be good enough to compete for a playoff spot in the West to start the 2025-26 campaign, because of how deep they are. Additions like Fears, Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey, and Kevon Looney put the Pelicans in a great position with or without Jose.