Pelica Debrief
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NBA Draft 2020 Mock Draft 1.0: The New Orleans Pelicans Can Try for Homerun

By Aaron Kellerstrass

New Orleans Pelicans mock draft: James Wiseman #32 of the Memphis Tigers (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
New Orleans Pelicans mock draft: James Wiseman #32 of the Memphis Tigers (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images) /
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Deni Advija
MUNICH, GERMANY – MARCH 07: Deni Avdija of Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv: (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

Deni Avdija. Pick Analysis. Small Forward / Maccabi, Tel Aviv. Washington Wizards. 9. player. Scouting Report. 142

The Washington Wizards are in one of the toughest salary cap situations in the league and their pick will likely have a lot of “ifs” attached to it.

If the Wizards expect John Wall to come back healthy then they have a solid foundation with him and Bradley Beal in the backcourt.

If the Wizards think Wall may not make it back to 100 percent then they could easily trade Beal (maybe to a team like the New Orleans Pelicans) for a treasure trove of assets that they can use to start a rebuild.

They lack talent pretty much everywhere but guard, so choosing Deni Avdija makes some sense here. Advija has size at 6-foot-8 and is a good playmaker and above-average defender already.

Advija does not project as a great shooter in the NBA and some teams might be turned off by his mechanics and poor free throw shooting.

Advija is also not an elite athlete, but with so few wing options on the board, someone is going to take a chance.

The Wizards may go in a completely different direction but either way they need talent at the forward position and Advija projects as a solid all-around player.