What fans can learn from the New Orleans Pelicans’ scrimmages

The New Orleans Pelicans will finally play a game this week.

Well, it’s just a scrimmage and doesn’t count towards the season, but these practice games are important first steps for the Pels as they look to clinch that all-important 8th seed in the playoffs.

Will there be rust? It’s pretty much a given. But based on the videos we’ve seen of practices over the past couple of weeks, the players have kept up their conditioning as much as possible during the shutdown.

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Asked about his expectations with only a month of practice prior to the restart, Head Coach Alvin Gentry said in his Sunday media availability that it’s all about getting back into basketball shape:

"“I think our guys, from a conditioning standpoint, came back in pretty good shape, but to get your basketball legs under you and feel comfortable in not just a 40-minute scrimmage, but a 48-minute game…I still think that takes a little time,” Gentry told reporters. “So it remains to be seen how they react to a 48-minute game, but I think as coaches we’ll play a lot more guys and the rotation will be a little different anyway.”"

New Orleans Pelicans: Gentry will tinker with different lineups.

Gentry also said to expect to see different combinations of lineups during the scrimmages, which we discussed previously on Pelican Debrief as we looked at Brandon Ingram as a power forward. This gives the coaches a chance to implement different scenarios and see what works against the competition.

Guard Josh Hart said on Sunday that the team is just ready for competition against anyone other than themselves.

"“I’ll say, one, very excited to play someone else besides us. I mean we’ve been going, scrimmaging five-on-five just about every day since we’ve been down here, so very excited to do that,” Hart said."

The Pelicans announced today that you can watch the first two scrimmages on Pelicans.com or through the Pelicans Mobile App.  Due to NBA broadcast rules, streaming is limited to viewers in the 75-mile radius of the Smoothie King Center.

Fox Sports New Orleans will broadcast the third scrimmage on Monday, July 27.

You can also listen to all three scrimmages on the Pelicans radio broadcast on ESPN New Orleans 100.3 FM.

As we inch closer to the start of the season, it’ll be fun to see who responds during the live-game atmosphere and also what work needs to be done ahead of the first game on July 30.