The New Orleans Pelicans are looking to shake off a rocky start, while the Brooklyn Nets have found themselves in an unexpectedly favorable position thanks to the struggles of other teams in the Eastern Conference. For many Nets fans, the hope was for a high draft pick as the team navigated rebuilding challenges, but this promising start has been a pleasant surprise. Now, these two teams are set to clash, each eager for a win to build momentum. Let’s take a look at the expected lineups and who’s suiting up for this matchup!

Injury Report:

• New Orleans Pelicans

The biggest setback for the Pelicans on Monday will be the absence of their star, Zion Williamson. The franchise announced on Saturday that the forward will be out indefinitely because of his left hamstring strain, marking the fifth game he will miss this season.

The one bright spot for Pelicans fans is the potential return of Trey Murphy III, who has been listed as probable due to his hamstring strain. His inclusion could provide a much-needed boost for New Orleans in Zion’s unavailability. Other than that, Jordan Hawkins, Herbert Jones, CJ McCollum, and Dejounte Murray will all be out for at least a couple of weeks, as per ESPN.

• Brooklyn Nets

Meanwhile, the Nets could have the upper hand in the clash, as Ben Simmons has been given the green signal to rejoin the team. He missed the last game against the Cavaliers due to a lower back injury which resulted in a defeat.

Apart from the Australian, Brooklyn’s injury report remains unchanged, with Bojan Bogdanovic, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Trendon Watford all ruled out. Bogdanovic recently joined the list with a foot injury, Watford with a hamstring injury, and Sharpe couldn’t start the season because of his left hamstring strain. Now that the injury list is covered, let’s have a look at the teams’ potential depth charts.

Pelicans vs Nets: Depth Chart and Regular Season H2H

With half of the Pelicans’ squad on the injury list, head coach Willie Green has limited options when it comes to finalizing the lineup. However, considering the available choices, here’s how the team’s depth chart could look like if Murphy is added ahead of the matchup:

Unlike the Pelicans, the Nets can play their starting five. However, Ben Simmons will come off the bench, a change that head coach Jordi Fernandez made due to Dennis Schroder occupying the starting spot. Despite this adjustment, Simmons remained unaffected. In fact, he stated, “I think, for the flow of the team, whatever the team needs me to do in terms of just coming up the bench or starting, I gotta do,” following their loss to the Celtics.

So, that solves the problem but certainly the 28-year-old will be expected to get more minutes in the game because of the depth he can bring into the team. With that being said, let’s paint a clearer picture of the Nets’ depth chart.

Looking at the last two regular-season matchups between the two teams, the Pelicans have secured 3 out of 4 wins, tying their overall record of 23 wins with the Nets. However, without Zion Williamson, it will be a tough task to repeat those victories, as the Nets’ roster appears to weigh more.

But it’s still too early to make any definitive predictions. The Pelicans will be aiming for a fourth win, while the Nets are determined to bounce back and secure their fifth victory. One thing is certain, the inter-conference clash will be thrilling and action-packed. So, be sure to tune in at 8:00 PM ET on Monday to catch the game live from the Smoothie King Center.