Who: New Orleans Pelicans vs Brooklyn Nets
When: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 8:00 p.m ET
Where: Smoothie King Center
How to watch: Fox Sports New Orleans
The Pelicans and Nets meet for the second time this season and present two teams with similar circumstances and different paths.
Both sides have been hurt by injuries this season, though Brooklyn’s injuries have been a higher quality than New Orleans’ quantity of injuries. While Kevin Durant will be out for the season, Kyrie Irving has missed 15 games and counting with a shoulder injury.
In his absence, the Nets have stayed afloat, sitting at 14-12 on the season and seventh in the Eastern Conference. Compared to the Pelicans, who have missed Zion Williamson since the end of preseason, Brooklyn serves as an alternate timeline for how the Pelicans’ season may have went in a different year.
In Irving’s absence, Spencer Dinwiddie has stepped up, averaging 21 points per game on 43 percent shooting from the field with 6.2 assists.
The Nets have been almost exactly average this season, sitting at 16th in offensive rating at 108.2 and 15th in defensive rating at 108.2 for a 0.0 net rating, which is unsurprisingly 15th in the league. In Irving’s absence, the Nets have a net rating of 2.0 over the last 15 games, ranking them 13th.
In the previous meeting this season, Irving dropped 39 points in a 135-125 win over New Orleans. Without Derrick Favors, the Pelicans were led on the night offensively by Brandon Ingram’s 40 points. Lonzo Ball chipped in 15 points.
