Brooklyn Nets vs. New Orleans Pelicans preview: unleash the kids

New Orleans Pelicans v Los Angeles Lakers — Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images

As we draw closer to the end of the season, the Nets will host the New Orleans Pelicans.

A few more to go. The Brooklyn Nets drew one step closer to the start of their real season after losing at home to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday afternoon.

The opponent tonight is looking ahead to the Draft as well. The New Orleans Pelicans have been snake-bitten by injuries all season long and are looking forward to the Draft. They were on the road Sunday evening and lost a close one to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Where to follow the game

YES Network on TV. Gotham Sports on the app. WFAN on radio. Tip after 7:30 PM.

Injuries

The following players are out for the Nets

Noah Clowney
Cam Johnson
Cam Thomas
D’Angelo Russell
Keon Johnson
DeAnthony Melton
Day’ron Sharpe

And for the Pelicans:

Trey Murphy III
Zion Williamson
CJ McCollum
DeJounte Murray
Herb Jones
Jordan Hawkins
Brandon Boston

Kelly Olynyk and Jose Alvarado are both questionable.

The game

Brooklyn won the first meeting.

If you didn’t have access to a calendar, you can just take a look at the injury report and you’d immediately know that we were in April.

We get to say hello to an old friend of ours! Bruce Brown is starting for the Pelicans these days and he’s making the most of it. He’s started the last seven games and is averaging around 11 points and five rebounds on .449/.438/.733 shooting splits. New Orleans has a lot to figure out this summer, and Brown will be someone that will be evaluated closely by Pelicans management.

Speaking of evaluation, Ziaire Williams will look to put another good outing on the board. Williams made the most of his playing time on Sunday and should be starting for the rest of the season. He recently spoke about his progress and gave a sneak peek of sorts to his upcoming free agency:

“You know, I’m always capable of, you know, what I can bring to the table, but when you see the fruits of your labor paying off, it always does help and feels really good. So, you know, just trying to trust my work, and that’s about it, man. That’s about it.”

Ziaire has put together a good season in Brooklyn, and if it ends on an especially high note, could lead to bigger opportunities down the line.

Player to watch: Yves Missi

The end of the season is the perfect time for young players to look back on the year and reflect on the season that was. For Yves Missi, he can look back at his rookie season and be proud of the work he’s done. Missi leads all rookies in rebounds at just over eight a night and is tough to handle on the offensive glass.

You need to start somewhere, and Missi appears to be a keeper.

Nic Claxton is back after a day off on Sunday, and he’ll be in for around 20+ minutes again tonight. Clax was especially excellent the last time we saw him against the Minnesota Timberwolves. For Claxton, this final stretch should see him continue working to create his own shots on offense while maintaining his activity level on defense. Even with the organization focusing on ping pong balls, for the players on the court, now is the perfect time to work on some things before they leave for the off-season.