Zion Williamson's Questionable As The New Orleans Pelicans Prepare To Face Golden State Warriors

The New Orleans Pelicans (22-15) travel to San Francisco (17-19) to battle the Golden State Warriors on National TV. ABC will broadcast the premier matchup, but question marks linger for both teams. Pelicans star Zion Williamson remains questionable with a right thigh contusion. Williamson missed Sunday's game versus the Sacramento Kings. The Warriors are dealing with attrition of their own.

Backup guard Chris Paul recently underwent hand surgery and will be re-evaluated in three weeks. Forward Draymond Green was reinstated from an indefinite suspension, but will need a week to ramp up for game play and will miss the Pels game. Golden State still has Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, which history proves is an issue for New Orleans.

The Pelicans franchise has only beaten the Warriors just once all time when both Curry and Thompson suit up in the same game. Curry averages nearly 27 points and seven assists in his career versus New Orleans, with the Warriors winners of the last three matchups with the Pelicans.

Golden State continues to be near the top of the league, shooting the three ball. The Warriors rank Top 5 in three-point attempts and makes, which has been a staple of their offense for more than a decade. New Orleans has been shooting the ball from beyond the best in the league since the beginning of December. The Pelicans are No. 1 in the league in three-point shooting percentage (42.3%) since the NBA In-Season Tournament ended. CJ McCollum, specifically, has been a marksman, shooting over 50% from beyond the arc.

The Warriors' defense is struggling mightily in Green's absence. Over the last 13 games, the Warriors have allowed all but two opponents to score at least 110 points. In the paint, Golden State has especially been exposed. Over the last three games, they've given up the second-most points in the paint, an average of 60.7 a contest. There should be opportunities for Jonas Valanciunas to assert himself in the middle. Jonas leads the team with 20 double-doubles on the year.

New Orleans has won its last six road games, while the Warriors, uncharacteristically, are just average at home with an 11-10 record at the Chase Center. Golden State still relies heavily on its motion and ball movement, ranking sixth in the league in assists per game. The Pelicans are one of the best defensive teams in the league, with a No. 6 ranking in defensive efficiency.

This is the first of two straight nationally televised games for New Orleans. On Friday night, they travel to Denver to take on the defending world-champion Nuggets. That game will be broadcast on ESPN.