Pelicans' Evans out 6-8 weeks after knee surgery
New Orleans Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans will be out six-to-eight weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday, reports John Reid of NOLA.com.
The right knee has been a constant source of discomfort for Evans, who went under the knife to remove scar tissue in the same knee in 2013-14. He later bruised the knee last December, and had another arthroscopic surgery on the same knee in late May.
This preseason, Evans has been sidelined since Oct. 12 with knee soreness.
The Pelicans can ill afford another injury - especially in the backcourt - as injuries have decimated their available roster:
- Alexis Ajinca - out two-to-four weeks with a hamstring strain
- Omer Asik - out one week with a calf strain
- Norris Cole - out indefinitely with high ankle sprain
- Jrue Holiday - limited to 15 minutes per game until January
With Holiday's minutes limited, the expectation from newly-hired head coach Alvin Gentry was to deploy Evans primarily at point guard - a position that Evans thrived in last season.
However, the injuries will likely force the Pelicans to lean heavily on a pair of deep bench additions in Nate Robinson and Bo McCalebb to hold down playmaking duties while their regulars rest up.
The 26-year-old Evans averaged 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists last year, and paired excellently with superstar Anthony Davis. The pair outscored opponents by five points per 100 possessions when they shared the court last season.