Three players that will need to step up in Zion Williamson's absence

2. Trey Murphy

Murphy is lauded for his sharpshooting, but he'll be leaned on for a more all-around performance come Friday. He'll slide into the starting lineup in Zion's stead like he did earlier this season and New Orleans will hope that he can replicate his success from the team's last matchup with the Kings.

The two teams matched up on April 12 and Murphy started at small forward. The swingman poured in 27 points on 6/12 from downtown in a team high 45 minutes of action.

In seven games without Zion this season, Murphy averaged 17.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists, up from his 14.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists for the season as a whole. "Aggression" and "Trey Murphy III" don't usually pair well, but he's going to have to be aggressive by default come Friday.

Without Williamson, the playmaking burden will fall elsewhere and some of that will naturally fall into Murphy's lap. He lacks on-ball creation ability with his handle, but the gravity he creates with his shooting touch is a boon to a Pelicans offense that struggles at times. Murphy is never reluctant to shoot and if his jumper starts falling on Friday night, New Orleans could easily stamp their ticket into the first round against Oklahoma City.