Pelica Debrief
Fansided

New Orleans Pelicans: 15 best draft picks of all-time

By John Buhler

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 24: New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul #3 looks on during the game against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena on March 24, 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The New Orleans won 121-117. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2011 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 24: New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul #3 looks on during the game against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena on March 24, 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The New Orleans won 121-117. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2011 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
11 of 15
Next
Darren Collison, New Orleans Hornets
(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Hornets had the No. 21 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. They ended up selecting a promising point guard out of UCLA in the form of Darren Collison. Though he only played one full season in New Orleans, it was good enough of a rookie campaign for Collison to crack the top-five in this franchise’s all-time list.

Collison was one of the better rookies in 2009-10. He played in 76 games for the Hornets, starting in 37 of them. Collison averaged 12.4 points, 5.7 assists and 2.4 rebounds per game in 27.8 minutes per game with the Hornets. He would make the NBA’s All-Rookie first team and finish in fourth place for NBA Rookie of the Year voting. However, Collison was not for long in the Big Easy.

Collison would be shipped to the Indiana Pacers on August 2010 in a four-team, five player trade involving New Orleans, Indiana, the Houston Rockets and the then New Jersey Nets. He would go to Indianapolis along with veteran swingman James Posey. Small forward Trevor Ariza would be the player that ultimately came the Hornets’ way in that late summer deal.

Overall, Collison has played for five different NBA teams over his nine-year NBA career. While he has never been anything close to an All-Star, Collison has made 442 starts and averaged 12.7 points per game. While he has spent most of his time with the Pacers and the Sacramento Kings, New Orleans can look back fondly on the one year that the team had Collison on its roster.