To say the New Orleans Pelicans have gotten off to an extremely disappointing start to their 2015-16 season would be the understatement of the year. New Orleans is 1-11 and could have dug itself too deep a hole in the loaded Western Conference already, but there is possibly some good news. Jimmer Fredette was waived on Thursday, which could mean that backup point guard Norris Cole is getting closer to a return, according to Rotoworld.
The Pelicans signed Fredette a little more than a week ago through the "hardship" exception, which basically means that the Pelicans had so many injuries that the NBA allowed them to carry a 16th player. Fredette only appeared in four games and played 12 minutes despite the lack of depth at the point guard position so the Pelicans decided to waive him ,and that could be good news regarding Cole.
Cole has not played in a game this season, as he suffered a high ankle sprain in the middle of October. The initial timetable for Cole's return was 4-6 weeks, and it has now been close to six, yet there haven't been many updates on his status. The last update on Cole came two weeks ago when he said he still didn't have a timetable but he was not rushing himself to get back.
"We're taking it step by step, not skipping any steps. I'll know when it's ready and I can be back out there," said Cole two weeks ago, according to Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com.
The lack of updates on Cole can be frustrating, but this news seems to bode well for his recovery, as the Pelicans likely wouldn't limit their options at the point guard position unless he was at least somewhat close. In the meantime, the Pelicans have been going with a severely limited Jrue Holiday, Ish Smith and Toney Douglas at point guard. Holiday has only played in eight games and is averaging just 22.3 minutes per, so he too is not at full strength, and while Smith and Douglas have both played well since joining the Pelicans, they still need Cole back.
As much as Cole would help the point guard rotation, the Pelicans really just need healthy bodies as they have dealt with an insane amount of injuries so far this season. The Pelicans also really like Cole's ability on the court, as Anthony Davis said this offseason that he wanted him back in New Orleans, so his play should also help lead to a few more victories.
