Pelicans' Stephenson requires groin surgery

The New Orleans Pelicans continue to be jinxed when it comes to injuries.

The team announced Saturday that shooting guard Lance Stephenson will require surgery for a groin injury. He underwent an MRI that confirmed the damage.

A timetable for his return will be provided once Stephenson goes under the knife.

New Orleans was far and away the team most affected by injuries last season, losing 353 man games last year - 39 more than any other club. The string of bad luck was so confounding that head coach Alvin Gentry said that the team needed a voodoo doctor.

This season has featured more absences. Jrue Holiday is out for personal reasons, while Tyreke Evans has yet to play on account of a knee injury. Stephenson was signed in large part as a replacement for those two, but he too will join them on the sideline.

Stephenson has been solid for the Pelicans in a sixth-man role. He holds averages of 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.8 assists for the winless Pelicans.