Pelicans vs. Nets Injury Report for Saturday: Will Herb Jones & Jordan Poole Play?

The New Orleans Pelicans look to bounce back against the 5-17 Brooklyn Nets.

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans will look to end their five-game losing streak on Saturday as they visit Brooklyn to take on the 5-17 Nets. Despite showing signs of improvement under James Borrego, the Pelicans have struggled to get on the W column, losing ten of their eleven games with the interim head coach in charge. As they are headed for another lost campaign, the Pelicans will be prioritizing the development of their young players.

Their latest injury report indicates that they have no choice but to depend on their young studs anyway. The Pelicans released their official injury report on Friday, which lists Jordan Poole, Herb Jones, Dejounte Murray, and Zion Williamson out against the Nets.

Jordan Poole & Herb Jones Continue to Be Out for the Pelicans

This continues a frustrating trend for the Pelicans. Williamson and Murray's long-term absences are known, but how long Poole and Jones have been out has been a source of frustration. Poole will miss his 17th straight game with a quad injury. When he was sidelined on November 5, the Pelicans didn't reveal the severity of the injury, and updates have been few and far between. On November 24, Poole was cleared to resume basketball activities, and Borrego said at the time that the veteran guard was participating in non-contact practice. Ten days later, Poole seems nowhere near a return as he is getting ruled out of games 24 hours in advance.

There is a similarly frustrating saga taking place with Herb Jones. On November 24, the Pelicans announced that Jones would miss another week with a calf strain. It has since been 11 days and Jones has still not been upgraded to doubtful or questionable. Saturday will mark his eighth consecutive missed game.

Yves Missi, on the other hand, is listed as questionable after missing two games with an ankle sprain. If he is available, the Pelicans could use his size and interior presence, especially on the defensive end. Without Missi, Borrego relied on Karlo Matkovic for backup center minutes.

Without four key contributors, the Pelicans should continue to start Jeremiah Fears, Bryce McGowens, Trey Murphy, Saddiq Bey, and Derik Queen, with Jose Alvarado, Jordan Hawkins, Micah Peavy, and Matkovic playing significant minutes off the bench.

The Nets, on the other hand, will be without top scorer Cam Thomas, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, but should otherwise be fully healthy.