Pelicans Injury Report vs. Wizards: Will Herb Jones & Trey Murphy Play?

The New Orleans Pelicans are once again dealing with injuries to key starters.

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The New Orleans Pelicans are continuing their free fall after losing their ninth straight game on Wednesday to fall to 8-31 for the season. Stuck at the bottom of the Western Conference, the Pelicans desperately want to stay healthy and have a good run to give some hope for the future to their fans.

Unfortunately, injuries continue to prevent them from building any sort of continuity and chemistry. Ahead of their game against the Wizards on Friday, the Pelicans are once again dealing with significant injuries to key players.

Pelicans Dealing With Herb Jones and Trey Murphy Injury Concerns

The Pelicans released their official injury report on Thursday and listed Jose Alvarado and Saddiq Bey as out, with oblique soreness and hip strain, respectively.

To make matters worse, Herb Jones is listed as doubtful with a right ankle sprain, and Trey Murphy as questionable with back spasms.

Jones' injury is particularly concerning. The star defender returned from a seven-game absence on Tuesday against the Lakers and played 35 minutes. When he was ruled out against Atlanta on Wednesday, many thought that this was due to injury management on the second night of a back-to-back. The fact that Jones is doubtful to play with the same ankle injury is not a good sign. The Pelicans are 1-15 without Jones this season, highlighting the key role he plays for the team.

Murphy also missed the game against the Hawks, but the severity of his injury is currently unclear. Bey will miss his fifth straight game after suffering the injury on New Year's Eve against the Bulls. Alvarado went down with his injury in the second half against the Lakers. The fact that both players are getting ruled out 24 hours in advance suggests that they are not nearing a return.

The only player not to miss a game this season for the Pelicans is rookie Jeremiah Fears. Jordan Poole, Zion Williamson, and Herb Jones all missed over 15 games. Add the fact that Dejounte Murray has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from an Achilles rupture, and the Pelicans' place in the standings shouldn't come as a surprise.

The Pelicans have a favorable schedule over the next week, going up against the Wizards, Nets, and the Pacers, as well as Nikola Jokic-less Nuggets. This is as good an opportunity as any to get a winning streak going, but if the Pelicans' injury concerns persist, wins may be hard to come by, much to the frustration of an already ailing fanbase.