New Orleans Pelicans: Revisiting the 2009 NBA Draft

The New Orleans Pelicans (then Hornets) bombed on their last few draft classes and needed to choose wisely in the 2009 NBA Draft to stay on the right path and not flounder back into the pits of mediocrity.

The 2008-09 New Orleans Pelicans* didn’t enjoy the same magnitude of success than the year prior, but they still managed a 49-33 record and another trip to the postseason. Stop if you’ve heard this one before: Another bright campaign was marred by nagging injuries. Tyson Chandler missed 37 games, Peja Stojakovic missed 21 games, and Morris Peterson missed 39 games in the 08/09 season. That’s three integral pieces of their core with significant time missed, and their overall record was reflected on those players being sidelined. For their efforts, they were rewarded with the 21st overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

The previous two drafts were well, kinda horrid for the NBA, and especially for New Orleans. The 2009 NBA Draft represented the polar opposite, there was plenty of talent to go around. Some teams brutally misfired (Minnesota, here’s looking at you), and others struck gold. Let me dive a little further into detail about the Timberwolves. They selected two point guards with the 5th and 6th overall picks, Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn. Stephen Curry went 7th…that’s just, man, that’s just mortifying—for shame.

Blake Griffin went first overall and helped usher in a new era for the Clippers, while Hasheem Thabeet provided the Grizzlies, Rockets, Blazers and Thunder players with solid high fives during his seven-year career with his second overall selection. James Harden went third, again a very hit or miss draft class in the lottery. But again, for the most part, you could find NBA-ready talent relatively easily throughout the first round.

Alright, so who did New Orleans select with their first-round draft selection? They decided on UCLA product, Darren Collison with the 21st overall pick. In the grand scheme of things, a pretty solid selection. Collison was steady in his four-year collegiate career for the Bruins and would play well for the Pelicans in his rookie season.

In fact, Collison would finish fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, even getting a single first-place vote going against rookies like James Harden, Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans (eventual winner), DeMar DeRozan, Brandon Jennings, Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, and Jeff Teague. That’s pretty good company there, but then there’s a catch, there always is.

Dell Demps had just been anointed general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans at the conclusion of the 2009-10 season. And with his initial move as active GM, he decided to part ways with Collison after his rookie breakout season. In return for Collison’s services, they received Trevor Ariza from the Houston Rockets.

It’s true that the team needed a “3 and D” type of wing to bolster their already impressive roster. Ariza was fresh off his best season as a pro, averaging 14.9 points for the Rockets in 2009-10 and connecting on 1.9 threes per contest. With New Orleans, he never managed to connect on more than 1.1 three-point field goals per game, and his scoring efficiency took a significant plummet down to 10.9 points over a two-year span.

As far as the second round is concerned, they didn’t own a pick. Because they traded it away back 2006 for 34 games of a 34-year-old Aaron Williams. Jeff Bower, ladies, and gentlemen!