Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Set for checkup in three weeks
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Expected to miss six weeks
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Returns to game Monday
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Leaves game early Monday
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Productive showing once again
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Pops for 27 in loss to Cavs
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Available to play Wednesday
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Questionable for Wednesday
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Continues solid play Monday
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: All-around performance in win
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Steps in at point guard
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Now probable Wednesday
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Iffy against Chicago
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Staying in New Orleans
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Leads Puerto Rico in Olympic loss
Rotowire
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.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Game-high 26 points in loss
Rotowire
Alvarado totaled 26 points (9-16 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 5-6 FT), five assists, two rebounds and two steals across 32 minutes in Puerto Rico's 90-79 loss to South Sudan in the Paris Olympics on Sunday.
Despite the loss, Alvarado was stellar against South Sudan and scored a game-high 26 points. The 26-year-old has made a name for himself as a defensive nightmare for opposing backcourts, and he showed his offensive abilities while tying the team high of two steals. In 56 regular-season appearances with the Pelicans last year, Alvarado averaged 7.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 18.4 minutes per game.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Sticks in New Orleans
Rotowire
The Pelicans exercised Alvarado's $1.99 million team option for 2024-25 on Friday, Christian Clark of The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
An undrafted point guard out of Georgia Tech in 2021, Alvarado has solidified himself as the Pelicans' top backup point guard over the last three seasons and will likely maintain that role heading into 2024-25. During this past season, Alvarado averaged 7.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 18.4 minutes per game across 56 appearances.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Plays significant role in loss
Rotowire
Alvarado logged 10 points (4-7 FG, 2-5 3Pt), two rebounds and seven assists over 25 minutes during Tuesday's 110-106 Play-In Game loss to the Lakers.
Alvarado closed the game Tuesday, providing the Pelicans with plenty of energy off the bench. He served as the primary ball handler down the stretch, making several key plays, particularly on the offensive end. He did appear to suffer two separate ankle injuries during the second half, something that the medical staff will be monitoring ahead of Friday's must-win matchup against either the Warriors or the Kings.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Good to go Sunday
Rotowire
Alvarado (oblique) has been cleared to play in Sunday's game versus Phoenix, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
Alvarado will return from a five-game absence due to a right oblique strain, so he could operate under a limited workload Sunday. The 25-year-old has averaged 6.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 three-pointers and 1.1 steals in 17.8 minutes per contest this season.
... See More... See Less
Pelicans' Jose Alvarado: Another absence coming
Rotowire
Alvarado (oblique) is out for Friday's game versus the Spurs.
Alvarado's absence streak will extend to five games Friday due to a right oblique strain. His next chance to suit up is Sunday's matchup with Phoenix.
