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) /
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Hilton Armstrong, New Orleans Hornets
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

After playing four years for Jim Calhoun’s Connecticut Huskies, big man Hilton Armstrong went pro in something not other than sports: hoops. The Hornets used their No. 12 overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft to take the 2004 national champion and 2006 Big East Defensive Player of the Year. Armstrong would have some staying power in the NBA, but his best years were definitely in New Orleans.

Overall, Armstrong would play parts of four NBA seasons with the then Hornets. His rookie year came in the final of the two where the team was playing home games in Oklahoma City. Armstrong was used almost exclusively as a role player with the Hornets, but did make 37 starts in his 209 career games in New Orleans.

His best NBA season came with the 2008-09 Hornets when Armstrong averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game in 15.6 minutes per game. That year, he made 27 of his 40 career starts in the NBA. However, he would find himself as a journeyman the next season. Armstrong would be traded to the Sacramento Kings for a second-round pick and cash in January 2010.

Armstrong would bounce around the NBA through the 2013-14 season. He played for teams like the Kings, the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors before his NBA career came to a close. Armstrong is still playing professionally, most recently for the Ryukyu Golden Dragons in Japan. Since Armstrong was able to play for New Orleans for a few years after the franchise drafted him, this has him cracking the top-10 on this list.