New Orleans Pelicans: 3 Takeaways from the 119-104 win over Denver

We learned little in the New Orleans Pelicans’ win over the Denver Nuggets.

The New Orleans Pelicans announced Zion Williamson‘s return to the Orlando bubble, which was the big news of the day.

With both Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart sidelined with minor dental problems and Zion in quarantine, it was hard to know what to expect in their second scrimmage.

We knew we were going to see some wonky lineups and the game didn’t disappoint in that department.

It felt a lot more like a scrimmage than the first one, mostly because both squads were missing guys and Denver had an eight man rotation.

It led to a weird and fun game to watch, especially if you’re into unlikely defensive matchups.

Here are three takeaways from the New Orleans Pelicans’ second scrimmage.

Tall Ball vs. Small Ball

This game had some ridiculous matchups, mostly because Denver didn’t have any guards.

Nikola Jokic was playing point guard, Bol Bol was the “small” forward and at times Denver didn’t have a single player on the floor under 6-foot-8. In fact, it was the tallest starting lineup ever in an NBA game.

This led to some of the funniest defensive matchups I’ve seen in awhile. Jrue Holiday was the primary defender on Jokic, and Frank Jackson also got a turn.

At one point J.J. Redick was guarding 7-foot-2 Bol Bol, which was the height of ridiculousness. Redick got a steal on the play.

We are unlikely to see most of these lineups again and the game did have a bit of a carnival feel, but it was enjoyable and the Pelicans looked talented and deep, even without Ingram, Zion Williamson and Hart.

My wife was an instant Bol Bol fan because he “looks like a sweet man,” and remarked that Derrick Favors was the “sexiest Pelican by far.”

That’s the kind of night it’s been. Here are a few more instant takeaways from tonight’s scrimmage.