Brooklyn Nets guard Lonnie Walker IV is nearing a return after missing the team's last 14 games due to a hamstring injury. Walker was ruled out for Sunday's road matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder but has progressed well and could return Tuesday against the New Orleans Pelicans, per the New York Post's Brian Lewis.

After signing for the minimum this offseason, Walker emerged as one of the NBA's top bench scorers before his injury, averaging a career-high 14.6 points per game on 48.9 percent shooting from the field and 43.3 percent from three. The 24-year-old leads the league in scoring among players averaging fewer than 24 minutes per night. His 33.6 points per 100 possessions ranks 27th in the NBA (minimum 200 minutes played).

Walker's three-level scoring fueled a Brooklyn bench that routinely overwhelmed opposing units early this season. The shooting guard is adding 8.7 points per 100 possessions to the Nets' offense this season, ranking first on the team and in the 92nd percentile among NBA wings, per Cleaning the Glass.

Brooklyn has struggled significantly of late with Walker sidelined. Head coach Jacque Vaughn's squad ranks 24th in offensive rating during a 2-7 stretch, scoring 113.1 points per game (26th) while shooting 45.0 percent from the field (28th) and 34.9 percent from three (22nd).

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Those struggles reached a boiling point during a 110-104 loss to the 5-25 Wizards in Washington Friday. The Nets shot 5-of-23 from the field (21.7 percent) and 1-of-6 from three with two assists and three turnovers in the fourth quarter. After leading by one with 5:40 remaining, the Nets shot 1-of-13 to close the game.

The loss dropped the Nets to 15-17 on the season. They'll look to inch closer to .500 against Oklahoma City Sunday before a potential Walker return in the New Year.