New Orleans Pelicans combo guard Tyreke Evans will undergo surgery on his right knee and miss the rest of the 2015-16 season, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Pelicans' Tyreke Evans plans to undergo surgery on his right knee and likely out for rest of the season, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2016
When healthy, Evans had been starting mostly at point guard for New Orleans. He’s generated a nice stat line with 15.2 points per game, 6.6 assists per game, and 5.2 rebounds per game, but his offensive decision making has been questionable at best. Still, he was important piece to an already depleted Pelicans roster.
The 26-year-old joins small forward Quincy Pondexter, who’s also out for the season after undergoing surgery on his left knee. Shooting guard Eric Gordon is also out with a broken finger, and Anthony Davis has missed time with a back injury.
Evans had been sidelined before making the decision to opt for surgery, and Pelicans have gone 3-4 without him in the lineup, relying largely on point guard Norris Cole, who’s averaged more than 30 minutes and 15 points per game in his absence.
The injuries have led New Orleans, who many thought would take a step towards the playoffs after firing Monty Williams and bringing in former Golden State Warriors assistant head coach Alan Gentry this offseason, to a 19-32 record.
Their latest starting lineup included Davis, Cole, Dante Cunningham, Omer Asik and 10-day contract signee Bryce Dejean-Jones, a lineup which will struggle to win in the NBA. Instead of contending, the Pelicans are likely going to be sellers at the trade deadline and will probably finish near the bottom of the standings.
Evans’ injury is the latest blow in what’s been a disastrous season for Pelicans fans.