New Orleans Pelicans vs Washington-wizards Picks and Predictions January 3rd 2025

Nowhere to Go but Up as Pelicans, Wizards Meet

The NBA’s two worst teams this season, the Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans, will face off Friday night in New Orleans. Both teams are desperate to reverse their fortunes after challenging starts to the season.

Wizards Seeking Momentum

The Wizards (6-22) are beginning to show signs of life, winning three of their last seven games. Their most recent outing, a 125-107 rout of the Chicago Bulls, marked their largest margin of victory this season.

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Guard Jordan Poole has been at the center of Washington’s recent surge, scoring at least 25 points in five straight games, including 30 against Chicago. But Poole hasn’t carried the load alone—six other Wizards scored in double figures in the win. Washington’s 36 assists on 49 made field goals underscored a growing emphasis on teamwork.

“We’ve been trending in the right direction,” Poole said. “We’re playing the right way, getting guys involved, using ball movement to get easy shots.”

Head coach Brian Keefe credited the team’s improving defense and unselfish offense:
“Jordan creates a crowd. He generates two on the ball by his shot-making and penetration, and that gets a lot of our ball movement started.”

Pelicans Trying to End the Skid

The Pelicans (5-23) have endured a dismal stretch, losing 11 straight games and 20 of their last 21. Their struggles continued Wednesday in a 119-108 loss to the Miami Heat, a game in which they fell behind 20-5 early and couldn’t recover.

Head coach Willie Green lamented his team’s slow starts:
“The sense of urgency has to be there to start the game. They got out to an early lead, and it was an uphill battle the rest of the way.”

New Orleans remains without its top scorers, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, as well as key reserve Jose Alvarado. The trio combines to average more than 55 points per game. In their absence, forward Trey Murphy III has stepped up, averaging 26.1 points over his last seven games, well above his season average of 20.8. Murphy scored 34 points against Miami, hitting five 3-pointers.

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Murphy acknowledged the challenge of competing while shorthanded:
“We’re undermanned right now. A lot of those times when you’re undermanned, you really have to fight when the margin of error is really small.”

Key Matchups

• Jordan Poole vs. Trey Murphy III: Both players have been the offensive engines for their teams and will need to carry the scoring load.
• Ball Movement: Washington’s emphasis on sharing the ball will test a Pelicans defense that has struggled to contain opposing offenses.

Outlook

Both teams are desperate for a win, but Washington’s recent improvement and the absence of Williamson and Ingram give the Wizards a slight edge. For the Pelicans, finding a way to start strong and maintain defensive intensity will be critical to snapping their losing streak.