New Orleans Pelicans: 3 Things to Watch in Final Scrimmage vs. Bucks

The New Orleans Pelicans will try to keep things rolling against the Bucks.

So far, so good for the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Pels rolled in their first two scrimmage games, dispatching both the Nets and Nuggets easily behind hot shooting and a deep and talented bench.

Alvin Gentry has used just about everyone in the first two games, running out lineups that are unlikely to see the light of day once the real games start.

Zion Williamson is still under quarantine and will miss the final scrimmage, but he should be ready to go when things tip off for real against the Utah Jazz on Thursday.

The Bucks are also undefeated in the scrimmages, most recently beating the Kings behind strong efforts from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez and Kyle Korver.

This will be a good final tuneup and test for the Pelicans, who thus far have only played heavily depleted squads that were missing many of their key players.

Here are some things to look for as the New Orleans Pelicans try to keep their momentum going towards the playoffs.

Who Will Play and How Much?

So far the regulars have been used sparingly in the first two scrimmage games, so it will be interesting to see if Gentry gets them some more run tonight.

Both Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart sat out the last scrimmage with dental issues, but should be ready to go for the finale against the Bucks.

I expect the starters will play around twenty minutes, that the rotations will be tighter and that we’ll start to get a better idea of how Gentry will handle his lineups in the real games.

Expect the starters to take this one seriously and for the game to look a lot more competitive than the last matchup against the Nuggets.