New Orleans Pelicans get good news with Brandon Ingram injury. When will he return?

There are likely sighs of relief in New Orleans today after an initial MRI confirmed that Brandon Ingram won’t be sidelined for the foreseeable future. While there is understandably a recovery period, it will be much shorter than first thought.

Brandon Ingram leaves game with serious knee injury

It would be fair to say that the New Orleans Pelicans have been the NBA’s best team for the last two months and a large part of that has been down to the performance of Brandon Ingram. Sadly, the team will now have to do without the services of the two-time All-Star after he went down during the team’s 121-106 loss to the Orlando Magic on Thursday night. Currently, within touching distance of the Western Conference’s No. 4 seed, the loss of Ingram can’t be overstated for a team that until Thursday’s defeat, had won 16 of its last 21 games.

Regarding how the injury occurred, it was in the third quarter when Ingram was defending Jalen Suggs on the perimeter. As Suggs drove to the basket he made contact with Ingram, who was moving laterally at the time. In that moment, the 26-year-old’s left knee appeared to bend at an awkward angle which resulted in him immediately going to the ground in obvious pain. Indeed, Ingram required assistance to rise to his feet and then in turn leave the game. Following the game, Pelicans head coach Willie Green was unable to give, however, he did disclose that Ingram would undergo an MRI to evaluate the damage. “Our prayers will be going up and hopefully we get some good news back,” Green said.

This of course brings us to the present wherein Ingram has had the above-mentioned MRI and by all accounts the news is encouraging. According to an announcement from the team, tests on Friday revealed a bone contusion in Ingram’s left knee. H is now set to be evaluated in two weeks, which would still be 15 days before the first round of the NBA playoffs begins. With that in mind, it’s reasonable to believe that he could be back on the court before we get to the business end of the season, something that Pelicans fans will likely be hoping for.

Indeed, this news will undoubtedly bring relief to a team that is currently occupying the No. 5 seed in the conference and just two games ahead of the Kings, Suns, and Mavericks when it comes to losses. Of course, one could argue that the aside from Ingram, it’s been the Pelicans’ roster depth that has also played a major role in the team’s success this season. With Trey Murphy III - Ingram’s likely replacement - firing on all cylinders and Zion Williamson finally showcasing his obvious talent, it’s clear the team can handle itself even if Ingram isn’t available.