January 10, 2025
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Will Zion Williamson be in action in Philadelphia on Friday night?
The Sixers return to action on their home floor on Friday night, facing what might be the only team in the NBA which has endured worse injury luck this season: the 7-31 New Orleans Pelicans, who have had the year from hell to date. However, the recent return of Zion Williamson has given the Pelicans some cause for optimism.
Here to educate on all things Pelicans is Andy Quach, who writes about the team as the Site Expert of Pelican Debrief. Let's talk to Andy:
Adam Aaronson: Somehow, the Sixers enter this game facing a team which has endured even worse injury luck this season. The Pelicans have had a hellish 2024-25, with the vast majority of their key contributors missing significant time and forcing the team near the bottom of the standings. Is there any sort of silver lining the Pelicans can reach this season?
Andy Quach: The silver lining so far is that this hellish year has forced the franchise to pick a real direction. The team backed itself into a wall accelerating their construction around Zion Williamson way too quickly, with the Dejounte Murray trade becoming the final nail in the coffin. Now, they have a good excuse to reset. Only time will tell whether Williamson will be a part of the next era, though.
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AA: Many Sixers fans are clamoring for the team to make a run at trading for Herb Jones, the Pelicans' brilliant defensive ace who has become one of the most valuable role players in the NBA. What makes Jones a special player, and do you think there is any world in which the Pelicans actually consider moving him this season?
AQ: The league is thirsty for defensive playmakers, which has led fans and analysts to be overly optimistic with anointing defenders, but Jones is legitimately a game-changer on defense. His presence has exalted the Pelicans’ roster chock-full of turnstiles into a middle-of-the-pack defense for years through his versatility and individual impact. From what I know, the Sixers would have an easier time trading for Williamson than Jones.
AA: Perhaps the lone bright spot for this year's Pelicans team has been rookie center Yves Missi, who was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month for December. What has impressed you most about Missi, and what is the next step in his development?
AQ: His readiness and how quickly he’s already progressed so far. He was supposed to be a project coming into the league. A lot of draft heads had Missi and Sixers second-round pick Adem Bona not too far apart as prospects. The Pelicans having a ton of opportunity for Missi early on has definitely played a part, but he could legitimately be in a playoff rotation now and he’s already grown a lot with his timing, spacing, and off-ball movement on both ends of the court.
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• Date/Time: Jan. 10, 7:00 p.m. EST
• TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
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