METAIRIE, La. (WGNO) — The Pelicans (26-17) are coming off a brutal road stand of seven games outside of New Orleans inside the past eight. During that span, the Pels have lost the last four, and are 3-7 in the last 10.
On Monday, a day after falling 100-96 to the Heat in Miami, New Orleans head coach Willie Green spoke with media at the team’s training facility in Metairie, La., as did All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, who has been sidelined with a toe injury since Nov. 25, 2022.
The Pels are 15-14 during Ingram’s latest absence.
According to the 25-year-old out of Duke, Ingram is hoping to return to action at some point during the Pelicans’ three-game homestand this week.
“If I feel up for it, that’s the plan,” said Ingram when asked about returning to action at some point during the Pelicans’ three-game homestand this week. “Try to get back at it, and ramp up a little bit, try to get back integrated with my teammates. Just all in all on how I’m feeling on a day-to-day basis.”
Ingram said he felt good today and last week, and says he is feeling more and more confident. But he admittedly did not feel the recovery process would keep him out of action for such an extended amount of time.
“I’ve dealt with injury and I pretty much know my body really, really well,” Ingram explained. “A little bit of confusion, and a lot of patience in this process of trying to get back to where I’m 100 percent and really push off and be who I am.
“I didn’t think it would take this long, but I had to listen to my body before I got back on the floor with my teammates and before I got back to playing basketball.”
Coach Green talked about playing without Ingram, as well as fellow All-Star forward and former Blue Devil, Zion Williamson, who has also been sidelined with a hamstring injury for most of the new year.
“We are not the only team dealing [with injuries],” said Green. “There are other teams dealing with it. Every guy on the team has to do a bit more, make more winning plays to give us a chance. Our margin for error is small. That’s why taking care of the basketball is so important for us offensively.”
New Orleans, who sat atop the Western Conference earlier in the season, are currently fourth on the ladder trailing Denver by seven games.
The Pelicans start the first of their three-game homestand against the Western Confernce-leading Denver Nuggets (33-14) at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, followed by the Minnesota Timberwolves (24-24) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and the Washington Wizards (20-26) at 7 p.m. on Saturday.