New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray and forward Zion Williamson publicly criticized team dynamics following a 145-111 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, marking the franchise’s fourth consecutive defeat and dropping the team to a 4-8 record.
Murray’s deleted social media posts alleged internal "sabotage" within the organization, while Williamson called for accountability from players and coaches in a postgame interview.
The Pelicans’ struggles have intensified amid a defensive collapse, surrendering at least 138 points in three straight games—a stretch unmatched in franchise history. The team’s four-game skid follows an early-season surge where New Orleans won four of five games to reach .500.
Murray’s remarks and deletions
Murray’s comments on X (formerly Twitter) were posted and later removed shortly after the loss. In a reply to the account NBACentral, which noted New Orleans’ 1-8 record when Murray plays and 3-0 when he sits, Murray wrote: "From what's going on INSIDE, this sounds like someone hit you to say this!! THE 'SABOTAGE' IS REAL!!" before deleting the post.
In a separate reply to the Pelicans’ podcast ProPelsTalk, Murray criticized teammate Saddiq Bey for poor floor spacing during a turnover and accused the entire roster of being unhappy behind closed doors. "Maybe you should ask the whole team individually how they feel on a serious note and then pull rethink a lot of s--t," Murray wrote, using profanity. The posts were scrubbed shortly after publication.
Williamson’s postgame accountability call
Williamson, who scored 29 points in the loss, declined to elaborate on the team’s struggles beyond calling the performance "unacceptable." He then urged players and coaches to conduct an internal review:
"As men, we have to, as a unit, players, coaches, everybody, you have to go look yourself in the mirror when you by yourself and say, did I do everything that I needed to do for my team? Was I in the gaps on defense? Did I contest shots? Did I give real effort? That’s what everybody has to do," Williamson said, per ESPN.
The Pelicans’ defensive decline has coincided with a statistical regression. Brooklyn, which entered the game at 2-8, scored at will against New Orleans’ porous defense. The Nets’ 145 points marked the third time in four games the Pelicans allowed 138 or more points, a stretch without precedent in franchise history.
Broader team context
The Pelicans’ four-game losing streak follows a promising start to the season, where they won four of five games to reach .500. Two of those wins came against the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz, teams not traditionally among the league’s elite. The recent skid has raised questions about the team’s cohesion and coaching under head coach Jamahl Mosley, who was hired in the offseason to spark a turnaround.
The team’s struggles have also unfolded amid roster changes, including the addition of Bey and other offseason acquisitions. Murray’s comments suggest internal friction, while Williamson’s remarks imply a broader breakdown in accountability.
The Pelicans will next face the Boston Celtics on Friday in a nationally televised game, seeking to halt their losing streak and address the issues exposed in recent defeats.