Tyreke Evans, Norris Cole expected to make season debuts Tuesday
The Pelicans have been ravaged by injuries to start the season, but are expected to get two key rotation players back as early as Tuesday night against the Grizzlies.
Evans started 76 games for New Orleans last season, and averaged 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.6 assists in 34.1 minutes per contest. Cole, meanwhile, posted the best shooting numbers of his career after coming over in a midseason trade with the Heat, and was an important member of the bench unit over the last 28 games of the season.
Guards Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole are both expected to make their long-awaited debuts on Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Smoothie King Center.
Evans and Cole have been out since October. Evans required surgery to remove bone chips from his right knee. Cole suffered a high left ankle sprain when another player inadvertently stepped on his ankle during training camp.
In their absence, Alvin Gentry has tried to make do with a shortened rotation at guard but the Pelicans have lost 13 of their first 17 games.
”I would say that unless bizarre happens or they warmup and feel like they are not quite ready, I would expect for them to play,” Gentry said. ”Just realistically, it’s going to come down to how they feel after they warm up.”
