Pelicans' Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram Questionable vs. Sixers
The Sixers travel to New Orleans on Friday for a matchup against Zion Williamson and the Pelicans. While the Sixers will be close to full strength, the Pelicans could be without two of their key players.
Per the latest injury report, New Orleans guard Lonzo Ball and forward Brandon Ingram are both questionable for Friday's matchup. Ball is dealing with a hip injury, while Ingram is battling a toe injury.
Being without these two would leave the Pelicans depleted, as they are both starters. Not to mention Ingram is the team's second-leading scorer at just under 24 points per game.
Ball was inactive for seven games after getting injured but has appeared in each of the team's last three games. Ingram has not played since March 29th, missing five straight games.
From an offensive perspective, these two being sidelined will greatly impact the Pelicans. The key to beating the Pelicans is containing Zion, and not having to deal with Ingram and Ball will make that easier for the Sixers.
After dealing with many critics over his jump shot, Ball has drastically improved that part of his game. This season he is currently shooting 38.4-percent from beyond the arc on high volume (8.1 attempts per game.) Not having that perimeter threat on the floor will allow the Sixers to easily clog the lane defensively.
Injuries helped soften the blow of a long road trip for the Sixers last week, and the same could happen now. With the Pelicans potentially being down two key starters, it is a good opportunity to go in and take care of business on the road.
This could also be a chance for some "old school load management," as Doc Rivers calls it. With Joel Embiid just making his return from injury, having a night where he and the other stars can get off their feet early is something they have to take advantage of.
Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.
