Pelicans Rumors: Two Big XII prospects eyed for 2nd round of NBA Draft

Lindell Wigginton: Guard, Iowa State, Sophomore

Lindell Wigginton, the Cyclone sophomore guard, had a decent shooting year for Iowa State with a line of 13/4/2 on 41.5% from the floor. He has a very soft touch on his jumper and has a good range with 39% beyond the arc this past season. He shows big time takeover ability in games, being able to shoot at all three levels.

A downside you don’t want to see from your point guard is sub-70% free throw shooting. Wigginton shot 68.7% in his two years with Iowa State from the stripe. Some more knocks on him are inconsistency in his shot selection, which will improve over time as he gets with team staff and hits the gym. Another problem is his size, as he looks small for a true point guard and wouldn’t fit the mold of a 2 guard, so hopefully he can bulk up a bit.

He has great speed, athleticism, and a bounce that helps overcome some of his deficiencies. He has a very acute sense on the defensive side of the ball with a good ability to steal despite not having ideal length at the position.

He reminds me a bit of Steph Curry with his 3 point range, but his overall game gives a George Hill vibe: He does what is asked of him very well and isn’t asked to do too much or too little. He has the potential to be a great role player, but we will just have to see what happens over time. I think Lawson would be the better of the two Big XII players that are rumored to be options at #39 for New Orleans, but time will tell as we get closer to the draft.

There’s less mystery than usual for the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA Draft, but don’t underestimate the value of the second round. David Griffin and Trajan Langdon could jumpstart this rebuild even more quickly if they’re able to find a diamond in the rough this late in the draft. Could Wigginton or Lawson be the guy?