The New Orleans Pelicans continue to deal with injuries to key starters. In addition to Dejounte Murray, who has been sidelined since the start of the season as he is recovering from his Achilles injury, Jordan Poole has been out for the past four weeks. On Sunday, the Pels were severely short-handed, falling to the Lakers without Poole, Murray, Trey Murphy, Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Jordan Hawkins, and Karlo Matkovic.
With back-to-back games against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday and Thursday, the Pelicans would love to get a few starters back to have a fighting chance. But, what is the latest on their injuries and what is their availability for Tuesday?
Pelicans Latest Injury Report: Zion Williamson to Play on Tuesday
The Athletic’s Will Guillory reported that Jones, Poole, and Matkovic remain out. Murphy (elbow) and Hawkins (illness) are questionable. Williamson, on the other hand, will be back in the lineup after missing Sunday’s game with injury management designation on the second night of a back-to-back.
Poole’s absence has been particularly frustrating. He last played on November 4 and has been out with a quad strain ever since. He returned to practice last week, but the fact that he is getting ruled out 24 hours in advance doesn’t necessarily suggest that he is nearing a return. The Pelicans have seemingly obscured the severity of Poole’s injury when it first happened, since Tuesday will be his 15th straight game he will miss.
For Jones, it will be his sixth missed game with a calf injury. The Pelicans had announced on November 24th that Jones would miss a week of action. That could potentially set him for a return on Thursday, but we haven’t heard much positive news on that front since the injury.
Murphy’s elbow injury has kept him out of the previous two games, but he is seemingly nearing a return. If he suits up against the Timberwolves, he should get his starting spot back, pushing Bryce McGowens to the bench. Saddiq Bey should continue to start in Jones’ absence.
While the Pelicans are dealing with a long list of injuries, the Timberwolves have no injuries to report ahead of Tuesday’s clash. Going up against a reigning Western Conference finalist, the short-handed Pelicans will have their hands full. Only if Murphy joins Williamson in the starting lineup, the Pelicans could have enough firepower to match the Julius Randle-Anthony Edwards duo in Minnesota.
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