Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Starting Lineups and Depth Chart for Dec. 22 | 2024-25 NBA season

The Denver Nuggets will face the New Orleans Pelicans on the road Sunday. The two Western Conference teams are off to different starts, as Denver is sixth in the standings with a 14-11 record, while New Orleans is last with a 5-24 record.

The Nuggets split their past 10 games and are 7-7 on the road. They, however, suffered a surprising 126-124 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. Nikola Jokic led the team with 34 points and eight assists. Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. had 24 and 16 points, respectively.

The Pelicans have been hit hard with injuries this season. They have lost six straight and nine of the past 10 games. They are coming off of a 104-93 loss to the New York Knicks on Saturday. Trey Murphy III led the team in scoring with 26 points.

The Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Pelicans game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. EST from Smoothie King Center. Local broadcast of the game will be provided by GCSEN and Altitude 2. Fans can also stream it live on NBA League Pass and fuboTV.

Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Pelicans: Injury Reports

Denver Nuggets injury report for Dec. 22

Christian Braun is probable for the game with a lower back strain, while Dario Saric is doubtful with an ankle injury. Vlatko Cancar (knee) and DaRon Holmes II (Achilles) are out.

New Orleans Pelicans injury report for Dec. 22

The Pelicans will be without Zion Williamson (hamstring), Brandon Ingram (ankle), Jose Alvarado (hamstring), Karlo Matkovic (back) and Daniel Theis (competitive conditioning).

Here’s a look at the Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Pelicans’ starting lineups and depth charts for Dec. 22.

Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Pelicans: Starting lineups and depth chart

Nuggets starting lineup and depth chart

Position	Starter	2nd	3rd
PG	Jamal Murray	Russell Westbrook	Jalen Pickett
SG	Christian Braun (DD)	Julian Strawther	Jamal Murray
SF	Michael Porter Jr.	Hunter Tyson	Julian Strawther
PF	Aaron Gordon	Peyton Watson	Hunter Tyson
C	Nikola Jokic	DeAndre Jordan	Zeke Nnaji

*DD indicates day-to-day

Pelicans starting lineup and depth chart

Position	Starter	2nd	3rd
PG	Dejounte Murray	CJ McCollum	Brandon Boston
SG	CJ McCollum	Jordan Hawkins	Trey Murphy III
SF	Trey Murphy III	Brandon Boston	Herbert Jones
PF	Herbert Jones	Javonte Green	Trey Murphy III
C	Yves Missi	Trey Jemison III	Jeremiah Robinson-Earl

Denver Nuggets vs New Orleans Pelicans: Key players

Nikola Jokic

While Denver had a mixed start to the season, the three-time MVP continues to impress, averaging 31.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.8 steals. He had a 56-point performance against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 7 and then followed it up with 48 points against the Atlanta Hawks on Dec. 8.

Jokic averaged 34.8 points over the past five games and should be good for another huge game Sunday. As he impacts almost all aspects of the game, his performance should translate into a Denver win.

CJ McCollum

With Williamson and Ingram out, CJ McCollum is carrying a bigger offensive load for New Orleans. While he averages a healthy 20.9 points, he simply needs to do more if his team is to get wins. McCollum has shown in the past that he can score in bunches. If that version of the guard shows up on Sunday, there's a chance for the Pelicans to upset the Nuggets for a win at home.