Pelicans’ injury updates for Nets clash

New Orleans Pelicans rookies Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen are displaying varying levels of promise, and the team is showing more fight in the third quarter lately, but those positive developments are not enough to soothe fans’ present distress. The Pels (3-20) are 1-14 since Nov. 8 and already sit six games out of the NBA Play-In picture. Many share blame in this fiasco, but injuries are absolutely crushing the squad. The latest news is what the city has come to expect from this franchise.

New Orleans will remain severely shorthanded for Saturday’s road game against the also-beleaguered Brooklyn Nets (5-17). Jordan Poole and Herb Jones have both been ruled out, per the injury report, and Yves Missi is listed as questionable. The organization has certainly made costly mistakes, but this group is as undermanned as any team in the league.

Zion Williamson will be re-evaluated for his abductor strain around Christmas, Dejounte Murray is still a few weeks away himself and Poole and Jones have both been sidelined since before Thanksgiving. The Pelicans fired HC Willie Green in mid-November, but there is little anyone can do with this depleted group.

Jordan Poole and Herb Jones are at least trending toward a return to action. The former is dealing with a quad strain that has kept him out for the last three weeks, and the latter has been nursing a calf strain since Nov. 21. The Pelicans could use the scoring and defense they provide, respectively.

Yves Missi has missed the last two games after sustaining foot and ankle injuries, but he has a chance of playing in Brooklyn. The 21-year-old center has struggled to gain meaningful playing time after putting together a solid rookie campaign, averaging 6.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 20.4 minutes per contest. He cannot afford any more setbacks. Hopefully, the Belgian big man can get back on track, starting on Saturday.

The Pelicans and Nets will collide in Barclays Center at approximately 5 p.m. ET.

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