Zion Williamson making his return to the floor for the New Orleans Pelicans? Ben Simmons making his return to the floor and his debut with the Brooklyn Nets? Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Ben Simmons and Zion Williamson all on the floor at the same time?
The 2022-23 NBA season is here and on Wednesday, October 19, the Brooklyn Nets will host the New Orleans Pelicans in one of the better opening week games of the new season!
Two teams with high playoff aspirations, the Nets are looking to prove that they are a real contender in the Eastern Conference after several years of disappointment. Over in the Western Conference, everyone is chasing the Golden State Warriors, but the Pelicans believe that they have what it takes to possibly take down the defending champions and become the new team to beat.
They both may have earned their spots in the playoffs a season ago via the Play-In Tournament, but entering the new year, both the Nets and Pelicans are two teams that nobody is going to want to see late in the season, especially if they are healthy.
The 2022-23 NBA season is about to begin and here is how to watch Wednesday’s game with gametimes and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Pelicans vs. Nets
- WHO: New Orleans Pelicans (0-0) vs. Brooklyn Nets (0-0)
- WHEN: 7:30 pm ET, Wednesday, October 19, 2022
- WHERE: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
- TV: NBA League Pass
- Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE
Key Stats & Facts For Pelicans vs. Nets
- The New Orleans Pelicans made the playoffs via the Play-In tournament last season with a 36-46 record after starting the year 8-21.
- The Brooklyn Nets lost in the first round of the playoffs last season after claiming the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 44-38 record.
- The Nets are 13-12 all-time at home in season openers.
- The Pelicans are 5-4 all-time on the road in season openers.
- Brooklyn won both of the two games they played against New Orleans last season by a combined total of 23 points.
Last Matchup:
January 15, 2022 – Nets 120, Pelicans 105
In Brooklyn, the Nets took down the Pelicans in their final meeting of the 2021-22 regular season 120-105 thanks to James Harden, who led all scorers with 27 points. The Nets were without Kyrie Irving in this game due to health regulations set in New York City. For New Orleans, Brandon Ingram led the team with 22 points. Brooklyn out-rebounded New Orleans 44-35 in this game, as rookie Day’Ron Sharpe recorded a team-high 10 rebounds in the win.
Latest Injury News:
Pelicans: Kira Lewis Jr. (knee – ACL) – OUT, EJ Liddell (knee – ACL) – OUT, Jaxson Hayes (elbow) – QUESTIONABLE
Nets: Seth Curry (ankle) – OUT, Joe Harris (foot) – OUT
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED PELICANS STARTERS (2021-22 Regular Season Stats):
- G CJ McCollum6-foot-3 guard: 22.1 points, 5.1 assists
- G/F Herbert Jones6-8 guard/forward: 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds
- F Brandon Ingram6-8 forward: 22.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists
- F Zion Williamson6-6 forward: 27.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists (2020-21 season stats)
- C Jonas Valanciunas6-11 center: 17.8 points, 11.4 rebounds
PROJECTED NETS STARTERS (2021-22 Regular Season Stats):
- G/F Ben Simmons, 6-foot-10 guard/forward: 14.3 points. 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists (2020-21 season stats)
- G Kyrie Irving6-2 guard: 27.4 points, 5.8 assists
- F Royce O’Neale6-4 forward: 7.4 points, 4.8 rebounds
- F Kevin Durant6-10 forward: 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.4 assists
- C Nicolas Claxton6-11 center: 8.7 points, 5.6 rebounds
Betting Odds:
- The Nets are currently 3-point favorites over the Pelicans as of Tuesday afternoon, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 230.5 total points.
What to watch for:
- Ben Simmons is making his return to the floor and will play in his first game with the Brooklyn Nets since being a member of the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2020-21 season.
- Zion Williamson is making his return to the floor for the New Orleans Pelicans and will play for the first time since May 4, 2021.
- Brooklyn is 22-20 all-time against New Orleans.
- Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons will play their first game together as the Nets new “Big 3.”
- Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and CJ McCollum will play their first game together as the Pelicans new “Big 3.”
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