This season has not gone according to plan for the New Orleans Pelicans. The franchise finds itself in a deep slump at the bottom of the Western Conference with a five-game losing streak after one surprising win in the middle against the Chicago Bulls. Nonetheless, they will at least be hoping to put an end to their losing streak as they pay a visit to the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets.

However, even that could turn out to be an uphill battle for the Pelicans, as they have been hard hit by injuries. Having said that, a lot will depend on whether Zion Williamson, who is among the many struggling with injuries, can suit up or not. So, will New Orleans’ franchise cornerstone help them snap their losing streak tonight?

Is Zion Williamson playing tonight vs the Nets?

Well, no. The New Orleans Pelicans star forward is expected to miss considerable time because of a right adductor injury. In fact, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Zion Williamson will be re-evaluated in about three weeks. The former No. 1 pick has already dealt with several blows this season.

Still, he will be hugely missed by the franchise, as when healthy, the 25-year-old has looked pretty solid on the court. Williamson has averaged 22.1 points along with 5.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists in ten appearances. The forward sustained this injury during his team’s loss against the Golden State Warriors on November 29th.

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Since then, the Pelicans have lost three straight games in his absence against the Lakers and the Timberwolves. Now, as they head into the fourth, they’ll be hoping to get a result finally. But before they enter the court, New Orleans has a lot more to worry about apart from Zion Williamson’s injury.

Brooklyn Nets vs New Orleans Pelicans injury reports

Here’s how both teams fare within the injury department:

New Orleans Pelicans injury report

Apart from Zion Williamson, the Pelicans will miss Herbert Jones and Jordan Poole, among others. While Jones is dealing with an unknown injury, Poole is out with a quadriceps injury. However, New Orleans’ injury struggles don’t end with these two. Dejounte Murray is also on the sidelines for the Pelicans because of an Achilles injury.

However, the good news is that he might be on his way to a comeback after the New Year. Lastly, Yves Missi is also questionable for Saturday’s matchup as the big man is dealing with a foot issue. So things don’t look too bright for the Pelicans at the moment, as their coaching staff will have to rely on its bench tonight as they face the Nets.

Brooklyn Nets injury report

As for the Nets, they are doing significantly better than their counterparts tonight. Cam Thomas and Haywood Highsmith are the only two players who have been completely ruled out for Brooklyn’s matchup tonight. While Thomas is dealing with a hamstring injury, Highsmith is suffering from swelling in his knee and will be re-evaluated in the coming weeks.

Lastly, Noah Clowney is questionable for this game because of a back issue. The 21-year-old forward has been pretty impressive this season, averaging 14.5 points along with 3.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. So, his absence could be daunting for the Nets. Having said that, they might figure out a way to grab their third win in the last four games with a little tweak in their lineup.

Nets vs Pelicans predicted lineups

Here’s how the New Orleans Pelicans could start without Zion Williamson and others:

Meanwhile, here’s how the Brooklyn Nets could start tonight:

So, this should be an exciting game, as two rebuilding sides take on each other in Brooklyn tonight. However, if we were to pick one, it would be the Nets, given their recent form. Also, because they are much healthier than their opponents, who have been bitten by the injury bug. Nonetheless, this could be a close game as we await tip-off.