The New Orleans Pelicans will next play against the Phoenix Suns, facing off tomorrow at the Smoothie King Center in Louisiana. Currently occupying the 6th seed, a few more losses can drop them further down the points chart, crushing their hope of qualifying for the playoffs. Contrastingly, the Suns are ranked as the 8th seed, needing just a few more wins to overtake their rival and have a chance to compete at the next stage of the championship. While this upcoming game promised a decider of fates, both franchises are now looking to put their best foot forward. For that to be possible, the availability of the top players of both teams will be a must.

Today, journalist Duane Rankin took to his official X account to highlight details from the recent injury reports of the Suns and the Pelicans, pointing out the only player from Kevin Durant’s team who has been placed in the ‘out’ category, Damion Lee. The 31-year-old shooting guard was a consistent player last season, appearing in 74 games of the 82 regular season games of the Suns. However, after being sidelined due to a right meniscus injury, the player failed to appear in even one game this season.

For the Pelicans, their second-highest average scorer, Brandon Ingramz, was unfortunately still in the ‘out’ category. During a matchup against the Orlando Magic a week ago, Ingramz sustained an injury to his left knee, leaving him off the list. Significantly, he accumulated an average score of 20.9 points, securing 5.1 rebounds. Earning 5.8 assists before his exit, the 26-year-old made his availability a vital factor in the team’s success. Unfortunately, with him out, Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum will have to carry out the burden of the offensive play.

Along with Ingram, 25-year-old Jose Alvarado and 23-year-old EJ Liddel have also been declared ‘out.’ As the secondary point guard for the Pelicans, he only managed to average 6.9 points, with 2.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season. Since CJ McCollum will be present during the matchup, Alvarado’s absence won’t be much of a hindrance to the team. Additionally, Dyson Daniels, who had to recently undergo surgery to fix a meniscus tear in his left knee, has been listed as ‘probable’. He was present during their last game and is poised to appear this time as well.

How would the Starting Lineups and the Depth Chart look for the Suns vs. Pelicans clash?

During Brandon Ingram’s absence for the past couple of games, Pelicans coach Willie Green reportedly assigned Trey Murphey III to his small forward position. Since he has been listed as ‘out’ again, Murphy III will be expected to once again take the reins. Fortunately, no other primary/starter players have been named in the injury report, hinting at their high hopes for taking over the game against Phoenix. Therefore, the depth chart for the Pelicans might look like this:

The Suns starting lineup will remain the same since they are not missing out on any major players. Therefore, the depth chart for Phoenix might result in something like this:

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Who will you be rooting for when the Pelicans (45-29) and the Suns (43-31) clash? Let us know in the comments down below.

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