Washington Wizards vs. New Orleans Pelicans Preview

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• The New Orleans Pelicans are 29-39 after Thursday's loss to the Sacramento Kings. They are just 2.5 games behind the Memphis Grizzlies for the eighth seed in the Western Conference.

• The Washington Wizards are 24-44, good for 10th in the Eastern Conference and 7.5 games behind eighth seed Orlando Magic.

• Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson had his best game since the restart Monday in a win over the Grizzlies with 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in 25 minutes. He followed that performance with 24 points over 22 minutes against the Kings.

• The Washington defense ranks 29th in points allowed, giving up 119.6 per game. The New Orleans offense ranks fifth in points per game with 115.7 per contest. CLICK FOR LIVE GAME ODDS!

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Lack Of Wizardry Inside The Bubble

Let’s face it, the Washington Wizards shouldn’t even be playing in this NBA restart. While a case could be made for some of the other teams that are on the outside looking in -- the Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, and New Orleans Pelicans come to mind -- there’s really no case to be made for the Wizards. They were well behind the eighth seed Orlando Magic coming into the restart, and four games in, they're even further back.

After a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, the Wizards fell to 24-44, including 0-4 in the bubble. They're now 7.5 games behind the Magic. In fact, they fell to 10th place, a half game behind the Charlotte Hornets, a team that wasn’t invited to the bubble. The Wizards are probably wondering why they're here. Without their best player, Bradley Beal, and their second best player, Davis Bertans, they don’t stand much of a chance against teams who have something to play for.

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Young And Hungry Pelicans

The PelIcans, on the other hand, do have a shot to make the playoffs. New Orleans is 29-39, just 2.5 games behind eighth place Memphis Grizzlies, who they beat on Monday. Portland is lingering between the two and are playing at a high level.

To keep their slim hopes alive, the Pelicans need a win badly on Friday night against the lowly Wizards. The Pels got their first win in the bubble on Monday against Memphis, and rookie Zion Williamson, who has been on a minutes restriction, led them with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five assists over 25 minutes. Brandon Ingram added 24 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. If they can get on a roll with a winnable game against Washington, they could climb into ninth place. Catching Memphis isn't out of the question with their young star Jaren Jackson out with a meniscus tear.

Wizards Playing Spoiler?

The Wizards have two things to play for right now. One, they can continue to develop their young players like Thomas Bryant, Rui Hachimura, Jerome Robinson, and Troy Brown, who have all played key roles for the Wizards in the bubble. Two, they can play spoiler and dash the Pelicans hopes of qualifying for the play-in tournament.

The Wizards have played slightly better defense during the restart, but their shooting has been subpar. In a 111-100 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday, the Wizards only shot 43.6 percent. In a 107-98 loss to the Sixers on Wednesday they only shot 42.4 percent from the floor. The only reliable scorer they've had is Bryant, who has had a few breakout games. However, he needs some help. Guards Shabazz Napier and Robinson have provided a spark off the bench, and they will need to pick up the slack in the scoring department against New Orleans if the Washington stands any chance to win.