3 Josh Hart SG

Hart (thumb) underwent surgery to repair a torn UCL in his right thumb and will be re-examined in three weeks.

This is a significant blow for the Pelicans, as Hart was providing sixth-man minutes on a team without great depth. He was seeing 28.7 minutes per game, and for at least three weeks, coach Stan Van Gundy will have to find players to fill that void. The result could be more minutes for Wes Iwundu, Kira Lewis and James Johnson.

Hart (thumb) is expected to miss significant time, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports.

An MRI on Hart revealed a torn UCL in his right thumb. While he played through the injury in Thursday's game versus the Magic, he will now be forced to miss an extended period of time. His absence figures to open up some playing time for the likes of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Wes Iwundu and even Wenyen Gabriel off the bench.

Hart (thumb) is unavailable for Friday's game against the Hawks, Jim Eichenhofer of the Pelicans' official site reports.

Hart suffered the thumb injury during Thursday's loss to the Magic and will be sidelined for the second half of the back-to-back set. Zion Williamson (thumb), Brandon Ingram (toe) and Lonzo Ball (hip) are also sidelined, so New Orleans will have to get by without four of its top contributors.

Hart (thumb) added 14 points (4-11 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 17 rebounds and five assists across 47 minutes during Thursday's overtime loss to the Magic.

Hart got the spot start and set a new personal best in minutes played as the Pelicans were missing Zion Williamson (thumb), Brandon Ingram (toe) and Lonzo Ball (hip). Hart has been a beast on the glass of late, grabbing double-digit boards in four of his last five contests. Whether he's starting or coming off the bench, Hart has been rather consistent on the glass for most of the season but has had spurts where he's failed to produce in the scoring department.

Hart (thumb) expects to play Friday versus Atlanta, Andrew Lopez of ESPN.com reports.

Hart had his right thumb wrapped when he met with media after Thursday's game against Orlando, but he downplayed the severity of his injury. The Pelicans haven't yet offered an official update regarding Hart's health, but it sounds like he's on the right track for Friday's game.

Hart is starting Thursday's game against Orlando.

Hart will enter the starting five after just having logged a double-double in Monday's win over the Celtics. He's only had double-digit points in three of New Orleans' last five games, but the minutes uptick that comes with starting should increase Hart's fantasy floor substantially. The Pelicans will be without Brandon Ingram (toe), as well as Zion Williamson (thumb) and Lonzo Ball (hip).

Hart played 32 minutes off the bench and totaled 15 points (5-8 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 15 rebounds, three assists and a block Monday in the victory over the Celtics.

Make that three double-digit rebounding performances in his last four outings for Hart. While he's been a solid rebounder all season, Hart's shooting has been a different story. Though he made five of his eight shots Monday, his previous four games saw him go a combined 8-for-31 (25.8 percent) from the field. For the season, Hart is shooting just 44.1 percent from the floor and 33.1 percent from deep.

Hart had two points (0-7 FG, 0-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and 10 rebounds in Saturday's win over the Mavs.

Hart has had some ugly shooting lines of late, but he remains an excellent source of out-of-position rebounds, while typically adding some assists and steals. Since the break, Hart is averaging 8.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steal, though he's shooting just 40.0 percent from the field and 28.6 percent from deep.

Hart posted two points (1-9 FG, 0-4 3Pt), 15 rebounds, five assists and five steals in 27 minutes against the Lakers in Tuesday's 128-111 victory.

Taking a page out of Draymond Green's book, Hart scored just two points but was fantastic in every other area of the game. Hart's bizarre line was the first instance in NBA history of a player scoring two or fewer points while adding 15 rebounds, five assists and five steals. He also didn't commit a turnover.

Hart scored 12 points (4-9 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT) while adding nine rebounds, six assists and a steal in 29 minutes off the bench during Sunday's 113-108 win over the Nuggets.

The 26-year-old fell just short of his sixth double-double of the season. Hart continues to provide impressive production on the glass for a wing player, and he's averaging 11.0 points, 7.6 boards, 2.6 assists and 1.2 threes through nine games in March.

Hart has posted 10.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 assists in 26.0 minutes per game over the Pelicans' four contests since the All-Star break.

The 26-year-old has established himself as one of the NBA's better rebounding guards in his fourth season, and he's done well of late to supplement his production in that area. While not a prolific scorer or three-point shooter, Hart at least tends to get his points efficiently. He's knocked down exactly half of his shots from the field since the All-Star break, raising his season-long rate to 45.3 percent.

Hart finished Sunday's win over the Clippers with 13 points (5-6 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 0-2 FT), six assists, five rebounds and one steal in 27 minutes.

The wing continues to play a consistent, 20-plus-minutes-per-night role, and while he doesn't have a ton of upside, he's a justifiable, low-end starter in most fantasy formats when the Pelicans are on a four-game week. Over his last 15 games, Hart is averaging 10.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 three-pointers in 29.2 minutes.

Hart produced 12 points (3-9 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 5-5 FT), eight rebounds and three assists across 41 minutes in Thursday's 103-93 loss to the Pelicans.

With Zion Willamson sidelined, Hart jumped into the starting five to log his third start of the season. He topped the team with 41 minutes on the floor, but he struggled to get things going as a scorer. Hart was able to contribute efficiently off the glass with eight rebounds, but his shot was ice-cold, especially from beyond the arc.

Hart will start in Thursday's game against Miami.

With both Zion Williamson (toe) and JJ Redick (heel) on the sidelines, Hart should be in line for a bigger role in the team's last game before the All-Star break. Given that the team has a week off prior to its next game, Hart will likely return to the bench after the break.

Hart had two points (0-8 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, one assist and one steal in 31 minutes during Saturday's 117-114 loss to San Antonio.

The 25-year-old had a strong game on the glass with nine rebounds, but his shooting struggles prevented any scoring production. Hart is averaging 8.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists off the bench over the past six games.

Hart scored 17 points (5-10 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-7 FT) and contributed 10 rebounds, three blocks and one steal in the Pelicans' 120-115 overtime victory over the Celtics on Sunday.

Hart played a huge role in the largest comeback in franchise history for the Pelicans. The guard came away with his fifth double-double of the season and did a terrific job defending the Celtics' talented wing scorers. While Hart's scoring is down a bit from a season ago, he's averaging a career-high 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Hart chipped in with 27 points (10-16 FG, 6-11 3Pt, 1-1 FT), nine rebounds and two assists across 32 minutes off the bench in Tuesday's win over the Grizzlies.

Hart has been dealing with back spasms lately but he hasn't missed any time as of yet, and the injury doesn't seem to be affecting his play of late. Hart has struggled with consistency at times due to his bench role, but it's worth noting he has scored at least 20 points twice already -- with both games coming over his last five appearances.

Hart (back) will play in Tuesday's game against the Grizzlies.

Hart has been dealing with back spasms lately but he hasn't missed any time as of yet. Following an explosive 20-point, 17-rebound effort on Feb. 9, Hart has cooled off over the last three games with averages of 7.3 points on 42.9 percent shooting, 4.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 triples per game in that stretch.

Hart (back) is probable for Tuesday's game against Memphis.

Hart still appears to be affected by back spasms although he played through them during the Pelicans' loss to the Pistons on Sunday. Hart logged 23 minutes and posted eight points and will likely be deemed active barring any major setbacks prior to tipoff Tuesday.

Hart (back) is available for Sunday's game against the Pistons.

Hart was considered questionable prior to Sunday's contest, so it's not very surprising to see him available against the Pistons. He should continue to play a considerable role off the bench for New Orleans.