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New Orleans Pelicans: Didi Louzada impressing with NBL’s Sydney Kings

By Willie Lutz

SHENZHEN, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 07: Didi Louzada #24 of Brazil goes to the basket during FIBA World Cup 2019 Group K match between Brazil and Czech Republic at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center on September 7, 2019 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
SHENZHEN, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 07: Didi Louzada #24 of Brazil goes to the basket during FIBA World Cup 2019 Group K match between Brazil and Czech Republic at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center on September 7, 2019 in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images) /
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Competing as the New Orleans Pelicans’ draft-and-stash pick from the 2019 NBA Draft, Didi Louzada is impressing in Australia.

While many of the New Orleans Pelicans players are preparing to head to the Big Easy for training camp, the team has one player on the other side of the globe getting work under his shoes. Not anywhere close to a household name prior to the 2019 NBA Draft, Marcos “Didi” Louzada Siva, became the 35th overall pick, sending him to the Pelicans.

Born and raised in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Espírito Santo, Brazil, Louzada came to the NBA at just 20-years-old, but with relatively little competitive experience, didn’t make much sense as an immediate contributor for the Pelicans. Instead, the Pelicans worked to have Louzada play ball in the National Basketball League’s (NBL) Next Stars program, a developmental program for transitioning NBA talent.

Last week, the Sydney Kings took part in this weekend’s NBL Blitz of Hobart, Australia, which was a preseason tournament to bring basketball to new sets of eyes. In their final game, against the Perth Wildcats, Louzada came off the bench and went wild. The young guard shot 8-of-11 from three-point range, scoring 29 points in the team’s 103-71 victory. The Perth team they played also had RJ Hampton on their roster, a projected lottery pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

It’ll be interesting to see how Louzada continues to develop with the Sydney Kings basketball squad. They’ll have the chance to take on another future NBA talent this season; LaMelo Ball plays for the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks. Ball has impressed so far in his own stay in the Australian basketball circuit.

Louzada was also a member of Brazil’s FIBA roster playing in 5 games, but only averaged 9.3 minutes per game, scoring 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds before the team’s exit from tournament play. If Louzada turns out to be an above-average NBA player, Brazil might have something going for their nation’s basketball team.

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While Louzada wasn’t as high profile a pick as a few others the New Orleans Pelicans made in this year’s NBA Draft, he certainly has some exciting upside. If the young guard can transition into a deadly three-point and defensive option, the Pelicans might’ve stolen a great hidden talent in the draft. Only time will tell how David Griffin’s front office really grade out on their pick.

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