Just as the New Orleans Pelicans begin to pick up some steam following a disastrous beginning to their 2015-16 campaign, injury has struck the franchise like a bolt of lightning.
Shooting guard Eric Gordon, a major staple of the Pelicans scoring attack, is projected to miss the next 4-6 weeks after suffering a fractured finger on his shooting hand in his team's 114-99 blowout victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night.
Gordon sustained the injury while slicing to the hoop in the third quarter of the win after garnering 11 points on 3-of-7 shooting from beyond the three-point arc as New Orleans built a commanding advantage in the early stages of the contest.
The 27-year old has emerged as a reliable threat from deep this season, matching his career three-point percentage of 38% while converting on 101 made treys thus far, one of just nine players in the league to knock down 100 three-pointers at this point in the year.
Gordon has posted 14.9 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.1 rebounds this season while amounting a PER of 13.28 and a shooting percentage of 41%. In New Orleans wins, his points-per-game average increases to 17.3 on 47% shooting, underlined by his 24-point performance in a Pelicans' victory over the Sacramento Kings last Wednesday night.
New Orleans, currently 12th in the Western Conference with a 14-27 record, had been surging of late after a horrific 1-11 start, having won three of their last four games.
The Pelicans sit just four games behind the eighth-place Utah Jazz in the conference standings, and with the likes of superstar center Anthony Davis manning the roster, the postseason is still a legitimate possibility for the club.
However, in the absence of Gordon, the team will need the likes of guards Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, and Norris Cole to assume leaderships roles in order to sustain their current success.