New Orleans Pelicans vs. Kings: Key Matchups in a Bench Game
By Tim Burke
The New Orleans Pelicans rematch against the Kings will have a preseason feel.
Bad performance after bad performance has caused the New Orleans Pelicans to be eliminated from the playoff contention way before we all expected.
The Pelicans will need to come up strong in these last two games to salvage any good feelings from this season.
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Will it hurt that a team with such high hopes couldn’t match them? Yes, but if the bench players excel in these final games there will at least be solid ground to build the team’s foundation for next year.
The second matchup of the season and bubble between these teams comes after both have been eliminated from playoff contention. We should get some weird lineups and playing time for guys who couldn’t sniff the court just two days ago.
Already we know that three starters for New Orleans, Jrue Holiday, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson won’t be playing. If the team was trying to win this game all those “injuries” would be played through.
It’s a good time to give more minutes to the end of the bench guys and see who fits into the organization’s long-term plan.
The one starter who is part of the future but will suit up tonight is Lonzo Ball, with the team giving him more time to get his shot right so he doesn’t go into the offseason on a huge downslope.
Sacramento has decided not to play some of their guys as well, Kent Bazemore, Richaun Holmes, and De’Aaron Fox, although only Fox is a star for the team.
The Kings have a clearer picture of what their main rotation will look like next year than the Pelicans do, which could play a factor in deciding who sits and when.
The energy that both teams bring will be telling. If New Orleans comes out flat like they seemingly have in each of the bubble games, it will lend greater credence to the rumors that head coach Alvin Gentry has lost the locker room and will be let go shortly.
We didn’t see much fire in the opening minutes of each game, which dug the team into some very deep holes. Even in the last game, the 113-122 loss to San Antonio that all but sealed the Pelicans fate, New Orleans was down double-digits to start and clawed back to take the lead before letting the Spurs go on another big run.
Let’s look at the last matchup between these two up and coming teams.