NBA picks: Pelicans vs. Kings, Bucks vs. Wizards

While it took us a long time to get here, we have now reached the "1-2-3-Cancun" stage of the NBA season, where the last few teams invited into the bubble are being ejected from official playoff contention in short order. Tuesday’s primetime slate features three such teams that will be giving young players extensive minutes.

New Orleans Pelicans vs. Sacramento Kings

Despite entering the bubble with very high expectations, the Pelicans are officially eliminated and will now leave prized rookie Zion Williamson on the bench. Other stars Jrue Holliday and Brandon Ingram are also announced out, which will pave the way for rookie players like Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, as well as fellow youngster Frank Jackson.

Although New Orleans' young players are certain to give their full effort, they ultimately don’t have a lot of professional experience and are far from generational talents. This is little more than an opportunity for the backups to get a little burn.

On the other side of the court, the Kings also have nothing to play for. In contrast to the Pelicans, however, the Kings bench is full of players with NBA experience and they will want to showcase their utility as future players in 2021 and beyond. Players like Yogi Ferrell and Jabari Parker were once college stars that have failed to lock down impactful roles in their NBA careers.

Almost all of Sacramento's backups have played significant professional minutes over the years, and I expect more efficient and heady play by the Kings.

NBA free pick: Kings moneyline

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Washington Wizards

In the nightcap, we have the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference versus a team that is winless in the bubble and has looked abysmal in every game they've played. No one expected much of Washington coming into Orlando, but it still has to be disappointing for Wizards fans see how poorly their team has fared.

The Wizards are spreading minutes around, with 10 players getting at least 10 minutes in their last game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, so they are clearly in experimental mode.

The Bucks, meanwhile, have been an odd bubble team. They have lost more than they’ve won, which is an ominous trend as they begin their quest for a title. After a thrilling loss to the Dallas Mavericks, they were defeated on Monday night by their biggest threat in their conference, the Toronto Raptors (although admittedly without Giannis Antetokounmpo).

The problem for the Bucks is they have been exactly average in many facets. The efficiency they showed during the regular season has not re-emerged and the question is whether this is a result of them not needing to be good, or not being capable of being good. With the No. 1 seed locked up, they don’t need to answer the question just yet. And against the hopeless Wizards, they likely won’t either. Expect a quick bounce back from the Bucks as they warm up for a long playoff run.

NBA free pick: Bucks moneyline