When the New Orleans Pelicans tipped off against the Miami Heat, they had seven players unavailable due to injury. By the time the game had concluded, that number had increased to nine as Frank Jackson and Derrick Favors had their nights finish early.
One never wants to make injuries the primary excuse, but it’s simply impossible to overlook at this point. With Jackson and Favors joining Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Zion Williamson, JJ Redick and Darius Miller on the sidelines, Alvin Gentry was forced to crawl to the finish line with only eight healthy bodies.