In the second half of the game once morest the Sixers, Zion Williamson injured his right hamstring. The Pels winger joined the locker room to never come back into play. The results of the MRI on Tuesday were obviously more than expected. Verdict: Zion will have to stay in the infirmary for the next three weeks. A blow for the Pelicans, currently third in the Western Conference. Returned to the top following a white season, Thanos turns this season 26.0 points 60.8% in shots, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists. A detrimental absence, especially as the other leader of the team, Brandon Ingram, is still recovering from a bruised left toe. But don’t panic New Orleans! Willie Greennewly elected coach of the month for December, has more than one trick up his sleeve.
Behind the two veterans CJ McCollum et Jonas Valančiūnas, other players are ready to fill the production of Zion Williamson. This is the case of the sophomore Trey Murphy III. In his second season, the winger doubled his playing time and with it his stats. With 42.3% long distance, he is the team’s most reliable sniper and has already compiled 7 matches with 20+ points. In the absence of the Ingram-Williamson duo, he even increased his contribution to shoot 17.4 points 58.8% on shots. In a style other than Zion, Trey Murphy III can unblock a lot of situations thanks to the spacing it brings. For the hustle, NOLA can count on its soldier Nazi Marshall. Beyond his defensive abilities, this blue collar broke out of the six games of absence of the tandem of stars with 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. A Swiss army knife that brings the collective what it needs.
And if Willie Green wants to play tall ballhe can also count on Jaxson Hayes. Out of rotations for long weeks, the interior has made a remarkable comeback since the end of December to post 10.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks over the last 7 games. With its very deep roster, New Orleans can stay in the top tier of the conference. Be careful all the same with the calendar, because the Pelicans will evolve outside nine times out of the next fifteen games, they who are on a record of 8-10 on the road.
