The New Orleans Pelicans have injury-prone star Zion Williamson … and not much else.
On Sunday night, the Pelicans will look to snap a six-game losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat.
Williamson, the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, is a two-time All-Star whose career scoring average is 24.6 points per game. He also is a career 59.3% shooter on two-point field goals.
The issue with Williamson always has been the aforementioned injuries. He has missed 258 games over the previous six seasons.
This season, Williamson has played in 20 of New Orleans’ 36 games. He has started 13 of those games.
“Whatever the team needs me to do,” Williamson said, “I’m going to do it.”
What the Pelicans really need right now is a win. At 8-28, the Pelicans have the second-worst record in the NBA and the worst mark in the Western Conference.
In addition, they are 2-12 on the road — the second-fewest wins away from home in the league.
On Friday, the Pelicans played without three key players who are listed as day-to-day — Trey Murphy III (back soreness); Derik Queen (left quad) and Saddiq Bey (strained hip flexor).
Murphy is New Orleans’ second-leading scorer (20.5); Queen, a rookie first-round pick, is averaging 13.1 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds; and Bey is averaging 15.1 points.
In addition, Dejounte Murray, who has averaged more than 20 points per season three times, has yet to play in 2025-26 due to an Achilles injury.
Besides Williamson, other Pelicans players to watch include: Herbert Jones, one of the better wing defenders in the league; rookie guard Jeremiah Fears, the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft; and Jose Alvarado, a defensive pest at backup point guard.
Meanwhile, the Heat have won four of their past five games, and a big reason why is their board work. Power forward Bam Adebayo and center Kel’el Ware entered this weekend as the top rebounding duo in the NBA this season (20.3 boards per game combined).
However, in Miami’s 125-115 loss to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night, the Heat’s leading scorer, Norman Powell (24.2 points per game), left in the first quarter due to right leg soreness.
Powell returned, but Miami’s top backup, Jaime Jaquez Jr., did not make it back after spraining his right ankle.
It’s possible that both Powell and Jaquez will need to sit out Sunday’s game.
Prior to Saturday’s contest, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra was asked about Jaquez, considered a frontrunner for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
“I would love to see Jaime get that (Sixth Man) award,” Spoelstra said. “He’s deserving. He just has to continue to play at this level.
“He is impacting winning, and that’s the most important thing.”
The Heat also are missing All-Star guard Tyler Herro (toe) and reserve guard Pelle Larsson (ankle) to injuries.
Spoelstra said he needs more of his players to compete with Larsson’s energy.
“Pelle has winning intangibles,” Spoelstra said. “He’s a great role player. Some guys hear that and think, ‘That’s not for me. That’s for the role players.’
“But if everybody embraces that (attitude), then your team can reach a great level.”
–Field Level Media
