Looney (knee) is out for Friday's game against the Clippers.
While it's not surprising that Looney was downgraded from doubtful to out, he appears to be inching closer toward making his season debut. The veteran big man will hope to return Sunday in Oklahoma City. Meanwhile, DeAndre Jordan should be able to stick around in the New Orleans rotation.
Looney (knee) is doubtful for Friday's game against the Clippers.
The doubtful designation is actually an upgrade for Looney, who has been out for the start of the campaign with a sprained knee. Although he's inching closer to a season debut, Looney's likely absence should allow Yves Missi, Derik Queen and DeAndre Jordan to share the center minutes.
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Pelicans' Derik Queen: Grabs eight boards in loss
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Queen ended Wednesday's 122-88 loss to the Nuggets with four points (2-5 FG, 0-2 FT), eight rebounds and one steal over 14 minutes.
Queen saw his playing time decrease after Zion Williamson (foot) returned from a one-game absence, but the rookie was still able to pull down eight rebounds in 14 minutes. Benches cleared late in the second half due to the blowout nature of the game, but Queen's next opportunity to produce would be Friday against the Clippers, which marks the kickoff of the in-season NBA Cup.
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Pelicans' Trey Murphy: Poor shooting continues
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Murphy finished with seven points (1-8 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds and one steal across 32 minutes during Wednesday's 122-88 loss to the Nuggets.
Murphy couldn't get anything going in the loss, shooting under 30 percent for the second straight game. Outside of one solid performance against the Spurs, Murphy has struggled to begin the season, averaging 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 1.3 three-pointers across the first four games. Look for him to bounce back sooner rather than later, making this an ideal time to buy low in fantasy leagues.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Struggles in return
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Williamson ended Wednesday's 122-88 loss to Denver with 11 points (4-8 FG, 3-4 FT), two assists, one block and one steal across 26 minutes.
Williamson played through a foot issue, returning to action after missing the previous game. While it was good to see him back on the floor, it was certainly not his best performance. Whether the injury played a part in his lack of production is anyone's guess. What is clear is how bad New Orleans has been to begin the season. The hope is that Williamson can get things back on track, both personally and as a team, when the squad travels to Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Friday.
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Pelicans' DeAndre Jordan: Given starting nod
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Jordan ended with two points (1-1 FG) and five rebounds over 12 minutes during Wednesday's 122-88 loss to Denver.
Jordan was given the starting nod, an indication of how desperate things are in New Orleans at the moment. The Pelicans have lost all four games to begin the season, the last two by significant margins. Despite starting, Jordan was a non-factor during his limited time on the floor. To be clear, he should not be starting for an NBA team, nor should he be on any fantasy rosters.
Missi isn't part of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against Denver.
Missi played just 19 minutes in his last outing, which came after a one-game absence due to an ankle injury. The center will come off the bench for Wednesday's tilt, as the recently signed DeAndre Jordan will draw the start in his second appearance with the Pelicans.
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Pelicans' DeAndre Jordan: Starting Wednesday
Rotowire
Jordan is in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game in Denver.
Jordon looked decent across 11 minutes in his regular-season debut Monday, but he'll draw a tough matchup against Nikola Jokic on Wednesday, so he's still not the most attractive target despite the starter designation. Joining him in the first unit will be Jeremiah Fears, Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones and Zion Williamson.
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Pelicans' Jordan Poole: Bench role Wednesday
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Poole will come off the bench during Wednesday's game against the Nuggets.
After starting the first three games of the season, Poole will be in the second unit. The Pelicans will go with Jeremiah Fears, Trey Murphy, Herbert Jones, Zion Williamson and DeAndre Jordan in the first five.
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Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Will play vs. Denver
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Williamson (foot) has been cleared to play in Wednesday's game against the Nuggets.
After missing Monday's game due to a foot issue, Williamson will return. The superstar forward has gotten off to a solid start to the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 27.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 4.0 steals per game while shooting 46.2 percent from the field.
Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Questionable for Wednesday
Rotowire
Williamson (foot) is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Nuggets, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
Williamson was a limited participant at Tuesday's practice, but he was spotted getting some extra running on the side after the session. Williamson was unable to play Monday against the Celtics, but it sounds like he's going to be day-to-day going forward.
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Pelicans' Jordan Hawkins: Scoreless in loss
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Hawkins ended Monday's 122-90 loss to Boston with zero points (0-5 FG, 0-2 3Pt), two rebounds and one assist across 15 minutes.
Despite being the primary backup to Trey Murphy, Hawkins has not been able to produce much during his time on the court. He has not recorded a steal or block in the first three games of the season and is shooting 35.7 percent from the field. Hawkins' next opportunity to bounce back from Monday's scoreless output would be Wednesday against the Nuggets.
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Pelicans' Saddiq Bey: Scores 11 off bench
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Bey recorded 11 points (4-9 FG, 3-7 3Pt), two rebounds and two steals over 24 minutes during Monday's 122-90 loss to the Celtics.
Bey was relegated back to the bench after starting Friday in place of Yves Missi (ankle). Even with Zion Williamson (foot) missing Monday's game, Bey remained among the second unit, with New Orleans electing to elevate rookie Jeremiah Fears instead. Despite the lineup carousel being spun due to injury, Bey will still see meaningful time on the court, regardless of his position among the starters or the bench.
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Pelicans' Herbert Jones: Scores 11 in loss
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Jones scored 11 points (3-8 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT) and added two rebounds over 23 minutes in Monday's 122-90 loss to Boston.
Jones' production may have been a victim of game script, as he and all the starters were likely pulled due to the blowout nature of the second half. However, he was able to bounce back in the three-pointers category, drilling two in four attempts after missing all five of his attempts Friday against the Spurs.
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Pelicans' Karlo Matkovic: Gets garbage-time run Monday
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Matkovic (back) played the final 3:16 of Monday's 122-90 loss to the Celtics, going scoreless (0-1 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and producing no other statistics.
A back injury kept Matkovic sidelined for the first two contests of the season, but after practicing fully Sunday, he was given the green light to suit up Monday. He made his season debut in garbage time of the blowout, with all of Yves Missi, Herbert Jones, Derik Queen and DeAndre Jordan working ahead of him in the Pelicans' big-man rotation. Matkovic's path to playing time won't get any clearer once Zion Williamson (foot) and Kevon Looney (knee) return to action.
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