New Orleans Pelicans vs. Kings: Key Matchups in a Bench Game

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings: Key Matchups

Key Matchups: Bench vs. Bench

With both teams already eliminated I don’t expect many starters to see big minutes tonight. This is a great opportunity for Josh Hart to show that he is a necessary piece of the Pelicans’ future, as he has been one of the few Pelicans whose game traveled to Disney.

Nicolo Melli and Jaxson Hayes should see a little more time tonight than they have lately but Melli in particular needs to start knocking down some shots. Like many Pels, his best night came against the Wizards when he had 10 points on 4-5 shooting. Outside of that, he hasn’t had more than two made field goals in a game in the bubble.

Melli needs to show that he deserves to be part of this team’s future at power forward.

Hayes could see more time paired with Lonzo in an attempt to see what kind of chemistry the two have. If Hayes can show that he has improved as a rim protector and pick and roll partner, he will get much more time on the floor next year.

These last two games could be the last chance that Frank Jackson and Kenrich Williams get with New Orleans. Jackson has played a little bit of each game so far and has been his usual high motor, some good, some bad self.

Williams has basically been put on ice outside of the Clippers game and he’ll need to step up and be the defensive stopper we saw glimpses of if he wants a future in New Orleans.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker is the last of the young Pels that should be given more run in the last two games. His shot selection theory has been “shoot all of them” so far in his career and while that lack of fear of the moment can be a good thing, it can also lead to more bad attempts than good ones. If he can reign in his shot selection he’ll have a place with this team.

For the Kings, I’m not really sure how much each of their rotation pieces from this season will play or who would fill in those minutes that are vacated. The team doesn’t have many young players who aren’t getting large minutes at the moment.

Harry Giles should get some minutes with Holmes out for this one. I’ve liked the little bit of Giles that I’ve seen. Maybe that was the one or two games that he actually played well in because his 14 minutes per game this season indicates the team doesn’t see a whole lot in his future.

This will be a bench on bench game for the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings, and while it is disappointing there is nothing at stake, there are still interesting questions and answers for the future.