The Utah Jazz head into Wednesday night still searching for a way out of a five-game skid, and the injury report doesn’t exactly make the road to New Orleans look any easier.
Utah is set for its second meeting of the season with the Pelicans, and the Jazz are hoping this one can finally give them a lift after a rough stretch that has left them sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference. But the frontcourt situation remains the biggest issue hanging over the team.
OUT - Trey Alexander (G League - Two-Way)OUT - Harrison Ingram (G League - Two-Way)OUT - Jaren Jackson Jr. (Right Knee; MCL Tear)OUT - Jusuf Nurkic (Right Foot; 2nd Plantar Plate Tear)QUESTIONABLE - Mo Bamba (Right Ankle; Sprain)
Jaren Jackson Jr. is still out while he works back from the MCL tear he suffered at the end of October, and that knee injury is expected to keep him sidelined until at least December. Jusuf Nurkic remains unavailable as well, still recovering from the foot injury he picked up at the start of preseason. That has already thinned out Utah’s center rotation more than expected, and the Jazz may be staring at another absence in the paint.
Mo Bamba is the new name on the report, listed as questionable with a right ankle sprain. It’s described as a minor injury, so this may not turn into a long-term issue, but there is still a real chance he misses the game. If he sits, Utah would be left to piece together its big man minutes with Jaxson Hayes, Tony Bradley, and Kyle Filipowski.
That’s a spot the Jazz have already had to manage without Nurkic, and it could become even more of a problem if Bamba can’t go against New Orleans, a former team of his.
The Pelicans’ report looks a little brighter by comparison.
PROBABLE - Jordan Poole (Left Ankle ; Sprain)PROBABLE - Trey Murphy (Bilateral Patellar ; Tendinopathy)OUT - Yves Missi (Left Knee ; Bone Bruise)
Jordan Poole and Trey Murphy are both listed as probable, giving New Orleans a pair of offensive options it could lean on against a Utah defense that has struggled. The Pelicans will still be missing Yves Missi, who remains out with a left knee bone bruise.
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. MT at the Smoothie King Center. For the Jazz, snapping the losing streak would go a long way toward easing some of the pressure that has built around this group.
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Darryn Peterson Already Faces A Tough Reality Jazz Fans Cant Ignore
Darryn Petersons first stretch in the league has been solid enough to keep the long view intact, even if the early returns have not exactly screamed instant stardom. The Jazz rookie has shown enough across the board to make it easy to see why the organization views him as part of its future, and why patience remains part of the conversation as he settles into the NBA.
For Utah fans, the harder reality is that a promising rookie season does not happen in a vacuum. Peterson is already part of a crowded field of first-year players drawing attention for league-wide honors, which means every good night matters and every quiet one gets noticed. The bigger point, though, is that the Jazz are still looking at development more than decoration here, and this kind of early test may end up helping more than hurting. [Read more 🡒]
Jazz Fans Finally Have A Reason To Watch Nurkic Closely
Jusuf Nurkic has been out since Utahs first preseason game with a partial plantar plate tear in his right foot, leaving the Jazz to wait on a frontcourt piece they had hoped to get a closer look at early. The center has been limited to light drills and shooting work as he works back, and the absence has made his status one of the more notable injury watch items around the team.
A report from the Salt Lake Tribune says Nurkic is due for another evaluation soon, which at least gives Utah a clearer checkpoint in the recovery process. If he keeps trending in the right direction, his return would give the Jazz a meaningful boost in frontcourt depth, something that could matter once the games start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Rudy Gobert Just Sparked A Strange Timberwolves Shot Debate
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Minnesota coach Chris Finch added a little more fuel to the discussion by saying Gobert is allowed to take those shots late in the clock, even if it is not part of the teams main plan. The debate now circles back to the numbers themselves and whether the leagues logs are telling the full story, leaving one small statistical wrinkle still hanging over a player whose outside shot remains more novelty than weapon. [Read more 🡒]