New Orleans Pelicans: 3 Things to Watch in the Scrimmage vs. Nuggets

New Orleans Pelicans: Which reserve will seize the moment?

Which Reserve Will Make the Rotation?

The Pelicans usually run a nine or ten man rotation when they are at full strength, which was obviously expanded in the first scrimmage.

Assuming Zion and Favors both come back, the Pelicans’ starting lineup is etched in stone, but there may be a case for some new faces coming off the bench.

Melli, Hart and Redick are givens, but after that, it may come down to matchups. Jaxson Hayes will likely see some time, though he wasn’t getting much run prior to the hiatus.

E’Twaun Moore is a Gentry favorite and a guy he likes to use in small-ball lineups with the second unit. He was efficient offensively in the first game and probably helped his chances to get additional minutes.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kenrich Williams have returned from injury. NAW got a lot of run in the first game and was the primary ball handler for much of the second half.  I doubt he showed enough to get a shot at the rotation, but Gentry did praise his effort after the game.

Kenrich Williams could provide some valuable defense and hustle off the bench, Frank Jackson was getting time before the break and is an option, Okafor could be a weapon in the post and even Zylan Cheatham and newcomer Sindarius Thornwell are options in certain matchups.

They can’t all play, so another thing to watch is which reserve steps up and earns some playing time when things get real.

Gentry has a lot of options and will have to figure out which ones click and do it in a hurry. We’ll be monitoring the bench minutes in scrimmage two to see if Gentry tips his hand about which reserves might be used in real games.

Scrimmage play can’t be taken too seriously, but there are more things to learn as we get closer to July 30th and the first game against the Utah Jazz.