Pelicans to pick 10th in 2021 NBA Draft with shooting as top priority

The made-for-TV NBA Draft Lottery did not produce any drama Tuesday night for the New Orleans Pelicans.

In 2012, the Pelicans received manna from Heaven in landing the top pick in the draft, against all odds, which turned into Anthony Davis.

In 2019, the Pelicans received yet another miracle blessing in landing the top pick in the draft, against all odds, which turned into Zion Williamson.

In 2021, the Pelicans did not receive any gift or hit any jackpot.

New Orleans will pick tenth in the NBA draft, the spot the Pelicans were expected to land in, based on the team’s finish and the percentages.

With a plethora of draft picks amassed over the next several years, David Griffin has lots of chips to play.

First and foremost, you can get a good player at No. 10 in the first round.

Paul George, Paul Pierce, C.J. McCollum, Horace Grant, Brook Lopez, Paul Westphal and Paul Silas were all picked in that spot and all are or were quite good.

The Pelicans, based on the comments of Executive Vice President David Griffin, need players with a higher basketball IQ, tougher players, better defenders and, of course, better shooters.

With Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, there is star power and scoring punch at the forward spots with little room for others.

With the development of Jaxson Hayes, solid play off the bench by Billy Hernangomez and the veteran presence of Steven Adams with a huge contract, New Orleans is stocked decently at center.

There are no exceptional centers in the draft, the best being Evan Mobley of USC and he figures to go in the top three picks.

As a result, our focus shifts to the guard position.

The Pelicans have likely keepers in Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kira Lewis, though all are tradable commodities. They may be stuck with Eric Bledsoe.

There are many guards with early, mid-level and late first round grades to take a look at.

Point guard Davion Mitchell of Baylor ran the offense for the national champion Bears. The 6-2, 205 pounder averaged 14 points, 5.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game this past season. Interestingly, Mitchell was a poor free throw shooter at just 64.1 percent but an excellent three-point shooter at 44.7 percent, a real asset.

Point guard Jalen Suggs of Gonzaga (6-4, 205) is a fast riser whose stock has improved measurably and who likely will not make it to the tenth pick. Suggs is ranked by virtually all services as a top five pick. Suggs is long, creative and can score and he is improving. Suggs averaged 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Zags but was only 33.7 percent from three-point range.

Jalen Green (6-6, 198) played in the G League this past season. Green averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the Ignite. Green shot 36.5 percent from three-point range, 52.9 percent from the field and 82.9 percent from the free throw line.

Shooting guard Moses Moody of Arkansas (6-6, 205) has upside.

In his freshman season with the Razorbacks, Moody averaged 16.8 points per game, along with 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Moody was a decent shooter from distance, connecting on 35.8 percent of his three-point attempts. Moody was good from the free throw line at 81.2 percent.

Shooting guard Corey Kispert of Gonzaga (6-7, 220) was not as good as expected in the NCAA tournament but his length and ability to shoot cannot be ignored. Kispert shot 44 percent from three-point range. Kispert averaged 18.6 points, five rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Kispert was elite from the free throw line at 87.8 percent.

Chris Duarte of Oregon (6-6, 190) is older (24) and ready to play immediately. Duarte averaged 17.1 points as a senior and shot the ball extremely well at 42.9 percent from three-point range and 63.1 percent from inside the arc, an astonishingly good number.

Scottie Barnes of Florida State (6-9, 227) is unusually huge for a point guard. Barnes is intriguing because of his super size and physical ability. He did not assert himself last season, averaging just 10.3 points per game but dished out 4.1 assists and had four rebounds per contest. Barnes is not a good shooter, converting just 27.5 percent from three-point range and just 62.1 percent from the free throw line.

Former Riverside Academy star Jared Butler of Oregon (6-3, 195) does not have the elite size or elite shot but he is simply a good all-around player who plays both ends of the floor. Butler was the MVP of the national championship game and an All-American.

Butler may be viewed by many as a combo guard or a “tweener,” not necessarily a shooting guard or a point guard or possibly both.

Butler makes good decisions with the ball, has the desired high basketball IQ, plays hard on the defensive end and is capable of getting his own shot. Butler shot a modest 35.1 percent from three-point range but that number is 38.4 percent in his three years with the Bears. Butler averaged 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

The primary concern about Butler is whether he is medically cleared to play in the NBA.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2021-nba-draft-baylors-jared-butler-sidelined-until-he-is-cleared-by-medical-panel-per-report/

Jaden Springer of Tennessee (6-4, 204) averaged a modest 12.5 points per game in his lone season with the Volunteers but he can shoot it, converting 43.5 percent of his three-point shot attempts while shooting 81 percent from the free throw line. Being young, his game is bound to grow.

Cameron Thomas of LSU (6-4, 210) played one season at LSU and was the leading scorer in the SEC. A true scorer, Thomas averaged 23 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in his lone season with the Tigers.

A bit of a disappointment was the fact that Thomas shot just 32.5 percent from three-point range, a number he must improve on. Thomas can shoot, as evidenced by his brilliant free throw shooting at 88.2 percent.

Josh Giddey (6-8, 205) played this past season for Adelaide in Australia. The international player averaged 10.9 points, 7.5 assists and 7.4 rebounds per contest. Giddey is a terrific penetrator who had 11 double-doubles this past season. Giddey can get to the paint and to the rim but he shot just 29.3 percent from three-point range last season. Giddey is intriguing at the ripe age of 18.

Keon Johnson of Tennessee (6-5, 186) is a superb athlete with upside who should go high in the draft. Johnson averaged 11.3 points per game as a freshman but shot just 27.1 percent from three-point range, a yellow flag.

Sharife Cooper of Auburn (6-1, 180) is a true playmaker at the point position, creative and a player that sees the floor, hits gaps and finds open players. The questions about Cooper are his size (may not be as tall as listed) and his ability to shoot (39.1 percent from the field, 22.8 percent from three-point range). Still, Cooper averaged 20.2 points, 8.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds in his freshman season for the Tigers.

James Bouknight of Connecticut (6-5, 190) averaged 18.7 points per game, along with 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists last season. Bouknight struggled at 29.3 percent from three-point range.

Franz Wagner of Michigan (6-9, 220) is another supersized guard who uses his size well to post up and to finish in the paint against smaller players. On a very good team, Wagner averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game this past season. Wagner shot 83.5 percent from three-point range but only 34.3 percent from three-point range, a number that must improve. Still, with his length, the German native is an interesting prospect.

If New Orleans keeps the 10th pick, there is a sizeable list of guards to take a look, if not a serious look at.

PELICANS RELEASE:
The New Orleans Pelicans received the 10^th overall selection in the upcoming NBA Draft, as determined by the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery.

New Orleans was slotted in the 10^th position entering the draft after finishing third in a tiebreaker with Chicago and Sacramento on May 25. The Pelicans had a 60.6-percent chance of receiving the 10^th pick.

Representing the Pelicans during the lottery was Vice President of Basketball Operations/Team Development Swin Cash. The 2021 NBA Draft will be held on Thursday, July 29.

Pelicans All-Time Lottery Selections

*Draft rights traded to Oklahoma City along with Morris Peterson in exchange for draft rights to Craig Brackins and Quincy Pondexter

**Draft rights traded to Philadelphia in exchange for Jrue Holiday and the rights to Pierre Jackson