Pelicans take safe route with pick of sharp shooting Jordan Hawkins

The buzz was deafening for over a week.

The New Orleans Pelicans were going to make a huge splash by trading Zion Williamson. Or they were going to make a big splash by trading Brandon Ingram.

It was almost as though national analysts were willing it to happen, to get Williamson out of “small market” New Orleans and to “The Big Apple” or other attractive cities or pairings with other stars.

The Pelicans resisted the urge on draft night, ignoring the bait laid for them and opting to run it back with their stars. They’ll be hoping and praying they get on the floor enough to make a difference. In the process, New Orleans appears to be gambling on health.

At the same time, it would also be a gamble to trade away either of the two stars. Remembering what it was like when one or both were health, the team was 11 games over .500 and first in the Western Conference for a brief tease last season.

The Pelicans are running it back.

New Orleans stood pat and used the 14th overall pick in the first round to choose UConn guard Jordan Hawkins.

There was much to like about the play of Hawkins this past season. The marked improvement from his freshman season to his sophomore season was notable, noticeable and even noble. He upped his scoring average from 5.8 points per game to 16.2 me this past season as the second leading scorer for the national champion Huskies.

Hawkins improved from 38 percent shooting to 44.5 percent shooting from the field. Importantly, he went from 33 percent from 3-point range in 2021-22 to 39 percent beyond the arc this past season. His free throw rate also increased from 82 percent to 88 percent in 2022-23.

Of course, Hawkins was a huge force in UConn’s run through the NCAA Tournament, when he averaged 17.3 points and shot a tremendous 52 percent from 3-point range. The All-Big East first team performer was the Most Outstanding Player in the West Region.

In the 76-59 win over San Diego State in the national championship game, Hawkins posted 16 points, four rebounds, a block and a steal. Hawkins was 5-9 from the field, including 2-4 from 3-point range and 4-4 from the free throw line.

The 6-foot-5, 195 pounder is a good shooter and while not a definitive dribble penetrator, he has the ability to get by a defender off his first dribble. He works hard to get open off the ball. Defensively, Hawkins is willing, works hard and moves his feet well as a team defender. He averaged 0.7 steals per game last season, getting his hands on a lot of balls.

Hawkins is looked at by many as a “safe” pick, due to his maturity at age 21 and ability to shoot the ball. While others may be more athletic and have more potential upside, Hawkins is regarded as being closer to becoming a finished product as a contributor on a Pelicans team that needs more spacing. He will still have to bulk up a bit to withstand the rigors of the NBA.

In an interesting side note, Hawkins is the cousin of LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese.

You can never have enough shooters and Hawkins, more than anything else, is just that. It would still be nice to have a pure point guard and a legitimate reserve center (or even a more athletic starting option).

The pick of Hawkins, a cousin of LSU women’s national championship basketball team star Angel Reese, made sense. The cousins are national champions and Hawkins hopes to help New Orleans rise to a championship level in the NBA.

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RELEASE: NEW ORLEANS PELICANS SELECT JORDAN HAWKINS WITH 14TH PICK IN 2023 NBA DRAFT

The New Orleans Pelicans have selected Jordan Hawkins with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Hawkins, 6-5, 190, averaged 16.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in his sophomore campaign at the University of Connecticut during the 2022-23 season en route to All-Big East First Team honors. The Gaithersburg, Md., native shot .388 (109-of-281) from deep and finished just six three-pointers shy of Ray Allen’s single-season school record of 115.

During the Huskies’ 2023 national title run, Hawkins averaged 16.3 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting .500 from deep and .920 from the foul stripe. Hawkins was named to the All-Tournament Team and earned Most Outstanding Player of the West Regional.

In two seasons at UConn, Hawkins averaged 11.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists while shooting .376 from deep and .872 from the foul line.