Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Set for checkup in three weeks
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The Pelicans announced Tuesday that Alvarado has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain and will be re-evaluated in approximately three weeks.
Earlier Tuesday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Alvarado would be sidelined for six weeks due to the injury the point guard suffered in Monday's 107-105 loss to the Nets. While the timeline provided by Charania could ultimately hold up, the Pelicans will wait and see where Alvarado is at in his recovery once he's re-evaluated in early December before a potential target date for his return to game action may come into the focus. In any case, Alvarado's multi-week absence represents another hit to the Pelicans' backcourt depth, which has already been tested early on this season with CJ McCollum (adductor), Dejounte Murray (hand) and Jordan Hawkins (back) currently sidelined with injuries of their own. Until at least one of Murray, McCollum or Alvarado returns to action, Brandon Boston and Brandon Ingram are likely to operate as the Pelicans' main ball handlers.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Expected to miss six weeks
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Alvarado is expected to miss six weeks after suffering a left hamstring strain in Monday's 107-105 loss to the Nets, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
The injury forced Alvarado out of Monday's contest with 7:14 remaining in the third quarter, but he checked back into the game with 10:06 left in the fourth quarter before exiting for good at the 7:34 mark. The point guard was apparently sent in for further evaluation following the contest, and after being diagnosed with a hamstring strain, he will likely be sidelined until late December or early January. With Alvarado joining CJ McCollum (adductor), Herbert Jones (shoulder), Jordan Hawkins (back), Zion Williamson (hamstring) and Dejounte Murray (hand) among Pelicans rotation players nursing long-term injuries, Brandon Boston and Brandon Ingram are likely to operate as the Pelicans' primary playmakers for the foreseeable future. Alvarado's absence could also open up more minutes for depth guards such as Jaylen Nowell and Antonio Reeves.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Returns to game Monday
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Alvarado (leg) returned to Monday's game against the Nets in the fourth quarter, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
Alvarado went back to the locker room in the third quarter after appearing to tweak his leg, but he was able to check back into the contest in the fourth quarter. The 26-year-old has been serving as the club's starting point guard lately with Dejounte Murray (hand) and CJ McCollum (adductor) out.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Leaves game early Monday
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Alvarado (leg) went back to the locker room during Monday's game against the Nets, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
Alvarado checked himself out of the game before heading back to the locker room in the third quarter -- he appeared to tweak something in his leg. If the 26-year-old is unable to return, expect Jaylen Nowell and Antonio Reeves to pick up the slack in a depleted backcourt.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Productive showing once again
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Alvarado closed with 21 points (7-18 FG, 4-11 3Pt, 3-6 FT), five rebounds, five assists and three steals in 35 minutes during Friday's 115-88 loss to the Magic.
Alvarado was unable to repeat his outstanding performance from the loss to the Cavaliers on Friday when he scored a season-high 27 points while going 7-for-7 from beyond the arc. However, he posted his second straight game with at least 20 points and scored in double digits for the fifth time in six starts. He's stepping up for the Pelicans amid a rough stretch since four of the projected five starters are injured. Since being promoted to a starting role, Alvarado is averaging 17.2 points, 5.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 44.7 percent from deep.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Pops for 27 in loss to Cavs
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Alvarado provided 27 points (10-14 FG, 7-7 3Pt), two rebounds, five assists and three steals across 35 minutes during Wednesday's 131-122 loss to the Cavaliers.
The fourth-year guard has his best scoring night of the season while making his fifth straight start with both Dejounte Murray (hand) and CJ McCollum (thigh) sidelined. Since moving into the starting five, Alvarado is averaging 16.4 points, 5.8 assists, 3.4 boards, 3.4 threes and 1.4 steals a contest. His productive run should continue for another week or more with neither of the Pelicans' injured stars expected back until later in November.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Available to play Wednesday
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Alvarado (ankle) is available for Wednesday's game against the Cavaliers, Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com reports.
The Pelicans have been massively affected by injuries over the first two weeks of the regular season, but this time, they'll be as strong as they can be with Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins (back) and Zion Williamson (thigh) all being available. Alvarado should handle heavy minutes as the starting point guard.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Questionable for Wednesday
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Alvarado is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Cavaliers due to a right ankle sprain.
Alvarado was a late addition to the injury report following the morning shootaround. Given how many injuries the Pelicans are dealing with, it would be a brutal blow for the team if Alvarado is unable to play. Players such as Antonio Reeves, Jaylen Nowell and Javonte Green could potentially see an uptick in minutes as a result of this news.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Continues solid play Monday
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Alvarado had 18 points (4-14 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 7-7 FT), one rebound and six assists across 34 minutes during Monday's 118-100 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Alvarado has struggled from the field over the past two games, going 7-for-26. However, he's 9-for-9 from the charity stripe during those games and has contributed 13 assists to two turnovers. Alvarado should continue seeing an increased role for as long as CJ McCollum (thigh) and Dejounte Murray (hand) are sidelined, which should be at least another week and a half -- likely longer. Fantasy managers can look to Alvarado as a solid source of assists and steals.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: All-around performance in win
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Alvarado finished with 12 points (5-12 FG, 2-5 3Pt), six rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 32 minutes during Friday's 125-118 win over the Pacers.
With CJ McCollum (thigh) out for at least two more weeks, Alvarado should remain in New Orleans' starting lineup. The 26-year-old guard tied Brandon Ingram with a team-high seven assists during Friday's victory. Alvarado is averaging 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks in 33.5 minutes across his last two starting appearances.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Steps in at point guard
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Alvarado provided 16 points (6-13 FG, 4-8 3Pt), five rebounds, four assists, two blocks and one steal across 35 minutes during Wednesday's 104-89 loss to Golden State.
The Pelicans have experimented with a mix of CJ McCollum (leg) and Brandon Ingram as their primary ballhandlers to make up for the absence Dejounte Murray (hand), but the team was forced to take another approach with McCollum sidelined Wednesday. Alvarado had a solid line in his first start, and though the Pelicans fell behind early, he was able to complete a diverse line with contributions in every major category. The Pelicans will await news on McCollum after his MRI, and how much further time McCollum misses -- or doesn't miss -- will likely be a significant factor in whether Alvarado sees major minutes moving forward.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Cleared for action
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Alvarado (knee) is available Wednesday versus Chicago, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports.
Alvarado and Dejounte Murray (personal) are active for Wednesday's season opener, although Zion Williamson (illness) being inactive leaves a void in New Orleans' offense. Alvarado appeared in just 56 regular-season contests last season, which puts an amplified focus on his durability entering 2024-25.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Now probable Wednesday
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Alvarado (knee) has been upgraded to probable for Wednesday's regular-season opener against the Bulls.
Alvarado is now on track to play despite dealing with a right knee contusion. With Zion Williamson (illness) and Trey Murphy (hamstring) out, there should be plenty of minutes available for Alvarado.
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Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Iffy against Chicago
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Alvarado is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game versus the Bulls due to a right knee contusion.
It's unclear when Alvarado suffered his injury, but it could cause him to miss New Orleans' regular-season opener. If Alvarado is forced to sit out, Antonio Reeves and Jordan Hawkins are candidates to receive increased playing time.
The Pelicans signed Alvarado to a two-year, $9 million contract extension with a player option for 2026-27 on Saturday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Alvarado has played the first three years of his career in New Orleans and is now set to remain with the team for at least two more seasons. In 2023-24, he averaged 7.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 18.4 minutes across 56 regular-season appearances. Alvarado is slated to be the Pelicans' backup point guard to Dejounte Murray this season.
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Leads Puerto Rico in Olympic loss
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Alvarado ended with 18 points (7-13 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT), three assists, one rebound and one steal across 22 minutes in Puerto Rico's 104-83 loss to Team USA in the Paris Olympics on Saturday.
Puerto Rico's Olympic campaign has officially ended with an 0-3 record in Group C. Alvarado led Puerto Rico to an early lead; however, once Team USA got going in the second quarter the game quickly got out of hand. The 26-year-old scored a team-high 18 points in the loss, and he served as the squad's top option throughout the group stage. In three group-phase appearances, Alvarado averaged 15.3 points, 3.0 assists and 1.7 rebounds across 23.7 minutes per game.
