It is that time of year again. With the NBA Draft just a few weeks away it is time to start looking at players that the New Orleans Pelicans can potentially draft. While most of the players that we profile will be second round players since the Pelicans currently only have a second round pick, there will also be a few first round talents mixed in with the bunch as well. Considering the Pelicans are pretty set in the backcourt and at power forward the profiles will focus on wing players that fit into a small forward role and backup big men, places the Pelicans can stand to get a bit better.
With the questions surrounding the bench PF/C situation coming into the spotlight this offseason, the New Orleans Pelicans could think about taking a overseas stash project with their late pick in the NBA Draft this year. With guys such as Alexis Ajinca and Jeff Withey‘s future in New Orleans under question long term, the Pelicans could look at a big such as Arturas Gudaitis to keep in their back pockets as a project who could develop later on as a possible backup big for the team. Big men that can play off the bench are a high commodity in the NBA now, and giving Gudaitis a chance in the future could potentially be a steal in this year’s draft.
The Basics:
Age: 21 (22 on June 19th)
Height (with shoes): 6’10”
Weight: 253
Wingspan: Not Listed
Standing Reach: Not Listed
2014-2015 stats: 6.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 blocks in 15.4 minutes per game (in 20 games for Euroleague)
Draft Projections: Second round.
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Strengths:
Arturas Gudaitis had a limited role with Euroleague’s Zalgiris this year, playing as an undersized center. On offense, he scored the basketball largely in the paint. A lot of his offensive skill set is based on his movement off the ball and his ability to space out and open passing lanes for guards driving to the rim. Also played fantastic on the offensive glass, grabbing 1.9 offensive rebounds a game. Has the capability to score in many different ways using a vast amount of post-up moves and his quick mobility against bigger and slower defenders.
Gudaitis is also a very physical player. He’s able to stay strong against bigger defenders on post-ups, and uses his mobility well to contest any shot in the lane. His athleticism and physicality are his biggest strengths, as he throws himself relentlessly to force defenders into fouls and keep up with bigger and strongers players in the paint. He has a style of play that would work well as a smaller center who can take advantage of slow bigs in the league.
Weaknesses:
One of the biggest weaknesses for Arturas Gudaitis is his small stature for a center prospect. While his game is one that fits a center role, his 6’10” stature makes it difficult for him to contest shots on a regular basis for those with a major height advantage. On offense, he has had some success against Euroleague players, however it is unsure how much of that can translate when he gets to NBA-level defending inside. Gudaitis also has very poor vision of the floor. Has one of the worst assist percentages of any prospect in the upcoming draft. Not good at finding the open man in the offense and tends to force his shot inside. Can be seen as a “black hole” at times.
His discipline on defense is an issue. He’s a player who has been known to get in foul trouble very quickly. Has the potential to be a great pick-and-roll player, but struggles to find the right angles to play P&R defense. Stays too close to his man at times and fails to execute on “team defense”. The range of his shot is not very far either. Shooting stroke is odd and tends to be flat often. Does not have a very good percentage outside the paint, though is above 70% from the free-throw line last year. He also did not have a ton of playing time in the Euroleague last year, and will require a few years more of experience to polish his game before he’s NBA-level ready.
Projected Role:
Arturas Gudaitis could very well be in the Pelicans range of the draft, however he won’t see an NBA floor for a while, no matter who drafts him. Gudaitis is a “stash-away project”. Whoever picks him will let him play at least a few more years in Europe to polish a lot of the weaknesses in his game and gain valuable experience in the elite European leagues before bringing him over to play in the NBA. His role as a center in the NBA will get tricky with his smaller stature. Teams may try to run him as a bigger PF role when he first gets to be in the league, or may settle him in as a undersized backup center for a team that wants to run a smaller unit.
For the Pelicans, he could be used as a future big prospect if a guy like Withey doesn’t work out. Gudaitis will be seen with a role similar to the one Mitch McGary had early on with the Oklahoma City Thunder this past season. A big who may not have the height, but can crash the boards and make the physical plays while the team sits their starters. He has the capability to be a fantastic role player when his career peaks on a very solid team, but has some many areas to work on at this point in his career. If the Pelicans draft him, he’ll be a long term prospect New Orleans will not see for quite some time, but could be a game-changing steal pick very late in this draft.
Stats, measturments, and information came from Draft Express