Who: New Orleans Pelicans at New York Knicks
When: Thursday, Oct. 18; 7 p.m. CST; Madison Square Garden
Where: TNT
The mixed emotions of the last two days regarding Zion Williamson will certainly cast a shadow over the preseason finale for the Pelicans in Madison Square Garden on Thursday. Once seen a showdown between former Duke teammates in the mecca of basketball, the luster of the contest is all but gone.
Instead, Thursday now serves as an audition for the coming weeks of Pelicans basketball without Williamson. With ample minutes and a starting role open at the power forward spot, there’s a host of different ways Alvin Gentry and the staff can go.
Will the team simply move Nicolo Melli into the starting lineup. Melli has impressed in his first action in the NBA and is, for all intents and purposes, the second string power forward on the roster. But his role with the bench unit has been important as his passing and playmaking has been valuable.
Which means the Pelicans could look to Kenrich Williams. Another player who impressed this season, Williams could be the biggest beneficiary. If Gentry would rather keep the bench unit the same, Williams could slot in with the starters. The lack of necessity for him to score and be anything more than a role player would make him a seamless fit.
Or the Pelicans could go with a different option like moving Brandon Ingram to the four and playing small ball. That would allow the Pelicans the chance to start JJ Redick with Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday and provide more spacing at the cost of size.
It’ll be an ongoing experiment for the team as they head into a new type of challenge in the coming weeks.
