Pelicans issue injury update on Jose Alvarado

The Pelicans issued a formal injury update on Jose Alvarado on Tuesday, announcing in a press release that the second-year guard has been cleared to resume on-court basketball activities.

However, according to executive VP of basketball operations David Griffin, Alvarado has been ruled out for New Orleans’ play-in game vs. Oklahoma City on Wednesday and isn’t expected to play for at least one more week.

Alvarado has been on the shelf since Feb. 27 due to a stress reaction in his right tibia. Prior to going down with that injury, he was a regular part of the Pelicans’ rotation, averaging 9.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 21.5 minutes per night (61 games).

Given that the Pelicans’ season could be over as soon as tomorrow night, there’s certainly no guarantee we’ll see Alvarado again this spring. However, if New Orleans can win a pair of play-in games, it sounds like the former Georgia Tech standout – who turns 25 on Wednesday – would have a chance to return in the team’s first-round series vs. Denver.

This update, along with the latest report on Zion Williamson‘s injury recovery, which we relayed earlier today, suggests that Alvarado may be ahead of Williamson in their respective return timelines.