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Pelicans' Tyreke Evans: 'I can be back in a week'

Logan Bowles / USA TODAY Sports

If they're to have any hope of making a playoff push after their abysmal 1-11 start, the New Orleans Pelicans need to get healthy in a hurry. Shooting guard Tyreke Evans is hoping to help.

Evans underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee a week before the start of the regular season, and was expected to miss six-to-eight weeks. He believes he can beat that timetable, and return within a week.

''I think I can be back in a week for sure,'' Evans told reporters Friday. ''I've been fighting through injuries my whole career. I know my body pretty well."

Evans said he's been working out without his knee swelling, and has kept a good range of motion in it. He added the caveat that he still needs more strength in the knee, and needs to get into live basketball in practice to see how it holds up to lateral movement on defense.

"We're getting close,'' said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry. ''But we're going to err on the sign of being a little over cautious there before we stick a guy back out there. But he's feeling good and he's been pain free and those are all good signs.''

The procedure was the third Evans has had on his right knee. He had arthroscopic surgery to remove scar tissue at the end of the 2013-14 season, and had the same surgery again this past May.

Evans was actually one of the few Pelicans who was consistently healthy last season, averaging 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.6 assists in 79 games.

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