With four years in the books, now is a good time to take a look back at the 2016 lottery to see how the New Orleans Pelicans would do things differently.
As the New Orleans Pelicans start to do their research for the 2020 NBA draft, it’s not a bad idea to use the gift of hindsight to look back at past drafts to see how things might have gone differently.
There are many teams in the NBA who’d like to have this draft back, as there were a couple of late round steals, including a guy who will likely make the All-NBA team.
Like all drafts, this one had a lot of busts, but also a few future All-Stars, All-NBA team members and some of the best young wings currently in the game.
A quick look at the stats for the 2016 draft class will show that some picks held up well and would probably remain the same, while others might make you scratch your head.
It was one of those years with a consensus number one pick, but would he still be the top guy? The stats say yes, but the fit and results say maybe not.
Would Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans take over the number one spot?
How many undrafted players would now be lottery picks?
Are there any lottery picks who might drop out of the first round altogether? (We’re looking at you, Dragan Bender.)
Even though the New Orleans Pelicans made a defensible choice, they would probably like to have this one back, along with the offseason that followed it.
Needless to say, this one didn’t exactly work out for the New Orleans Pelicans, but the draft is nothing if not a crapshoot and most teams would like another go.
Without further ado, here is a re-draft of the 2016 NBA Lottery.
Philadelphia 76ers
Who they chose: Ben Simmons
Re-Draft choice: Ben Simmons
The Philadelphia 76ers are one of a few teams who probably wouldn’t do this draft differently if they could.
Although “The Process” isn’t going quite to plan this season, Ben Simmons is still the best player from this draft.
He leads the 2016 draft class in pretty much every statistical category, including points per game, rebounding and assists.
Simmons is also a plus defender, leads the NBA in steals and has a good shot at the Defensive Player of the Year award if the season is cancelled.
The 76ers have disappointed this season, as many had them picked to win the Eastern Conference, which has caused some speculation that Simmons and Joel Embiid are not a good fit.
Embiid was having none of that, and I tend to agree.
Whether things work out in Philly or not, Simmons was and is the correct pick, but the next guy would definitely get some consideration.
Los Angeles Lakers
Who they chose: Brandon Ingram
Re-draft Choice: Brandon Ingram
Ok, so not much exciting news from these first two picks.
Simmons and Brandon Ingram are clearly the best two players from this draft, and since the Lakers were able to use Ingram as the centerpiece of the Anthony Davis trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, they would probably do it again.
We think the New Orleans Pelicans won that trade in the long-term, but Davis had the Lakers poised to make a run at the finals, so the Lakers did ok too. (ok, better than ok.)
If the draft were to be done again, Ingram could be the number one pick.
He’s upped his scoring to 24.3 points per game and adds 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists, making him a front-runner for Most Improved Player.
Ingram is the type of scoring wing that every team is looking for in the modern NBA.
He can score from all over the floor, has shown he is clutch and is the Alpha-Dog of the New Orleans Pelicans.
While the first two picks would likely remain the same, there is big movement for pick number three.
Boston Celtics
Who they chose: Jaylen Brown
Re-draft choice: Pascal Siakam
Aside from one undrafted player who would now be a lottery pick, no player would make a bigger leap in the 2016 re-draft than Pascal Siakam.
Siakam was chosen 27th out of New Mexico State, and for his first two seasons with the Toronto Raptors, that seemed about right.
Then something happened in year three, Siakam blew up.
He raised his scoring average to 16.9 and his rebounding to 6.9, earning himself a Most Improved Player award in the process.
Siakam has an argument again this year, as he has made the leap to become one of the best wings in the game, scoring 23.6 a game and adding 7.5 rebounds.
Siakam is the main reason the Raptors are still contenders after losing Leonard and why they likely will be for years to come.
Boston is certainly not unhappy with Jaylen Brown and he has been a very good player for them, but if they had to do it again, Siakam would likely get the nod.
Phoenix Suns
Who they chose: Dragan Bender
Re-Draft choice: Jaylen Brown
No team would like to have this draft back more than the Phoenix Suns, whose disastrous choice of Dragan Bender continued their never-ending rebuild.
Bender has been a bust and the Suns still stink, even though they have one of the best scorers in the league in Devin Booker.
If the Suns could do it all again, they would almost certainly choose one of the talented wings from this draft class, likely Brown.
Brown is averaging 20.4 points and 6.4 rebounds a game for the Celtics, who are loaded with young talent on the wing.
Brown is the prototypical 3-and-D guy who can knock down 3-pointers, guard the other team’s best wing and grab a few boards.
The Suns have blown many drafts in recent years, but this one particularly hurt, as it seemed they were a team on the rise.
Bender would likely fall out of the first round if this draft was done again and certainly would not be the the number four pick.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Who they chose: Kris Dunn
Re-draft choice: Jamal Murray
The Minnesota Timberwolves wanted a guard with this pick, they just chose the wrong one when they took Kris Dunn.
If they had to do it again, Jamal Murray would likely be the pick, as he is turning into one of the best combo-guards in the NBA.
Murray has gotten better each year he’s been on the Denver Nuggets and is a big reason the Nuggets have been contenders the last two seasons.
Murray is averaging 18.8 points per game and adds 4.8 dimes and 1.2 steals.
He’s a plus-scorer, playmaker and plays solid defense for his position.
Dunn was eventually traded to the Chicago Bulls after his career didn’t get off to a great start.
Dunn has been up and down since and certainly wouldn’t go this high if the draft were done again, in fact, he may drop out of the lottery altogether, though teams might be intrigued by his plus perimeter defense.
Denver got lucky when Murray fell into their laps, but teams wouldn’t make that mistake twice.
New Orleans Pelicans
Who they chose: Buddy Hield
Re-draft choice: Domantas Sabonis
The New Orleans Pelicans don’t just wish they could do this draft over, but also the offseason that followed it.
At the time the Buddy Hield choice was defensible, as the New Orleans Pelicans were looking for shooters to surround superstar Davis.
Hield has had a good NBA career thus far and he can shoot, so it’s not like the New Orleans Pelicans picked a complete dud with the sixth pick.
However, they then traded Hield to Sacramento along with Tyreke Evans, Langston Galloway and two first-round picks for DeMarcus Cousins.
Ouch.
The move was done to try to add talent around Davis, who was already threatening to leave the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans were desperate and didn’t have time to wait around for Hield to get good.
This move was called a “steal” for the New Orleans Pelicans at the time, but looking back, Sacramento clearly got the better of the deal, as they got Hield and two picks that they turned into Justin Jackson, Harry Giles and Frank Mason III.
If the New Orleans Pelicans could do it over, and knowing Davis was on the way out anyway, they might have just chosen his replacment.
Domantas Sabonis has emerged from the 2016 draft as one of its best players, averaging 18.5 points, 12.4 rebounds and five assists per game for the Pacers.
Sabonis is the type of playmaking big that would work well with the current New Orleans Pelicans, but who knows how things might have turned out.
Without the Hield pick, the New Orleans Pelicans likely don’t make the Cousins trade and may have not been in position to draft Zion Williamson down the road.
There are a lot of permutations to this pick, but if the New Orleans Pelicans could do it all again, they would probably do it much differently.
Denver Nuggets
Who they chose: Jamal Murray
Re-draft choice: Caris LeVert
The Denver Nuggets may have lost their guy Murray in our re-draft, but they still came out well with standout wing Caris LeVert.
LeVert is one of the players who would make a big jump if this draft was done again, as he was chosen 20th overall but has flashed top-ten talent.
LeVert fits the mold of what nearly every team in the NBA is looking for: tall wings who can shoot.
LeVert is averaging 17.7 points per game on 38.1 percent from 3-point range.
He’s improved his rebounds and assists to 4.1 a game each and adds 1.1 steals, making him the kind of shooting wing most teams covet.
As LeVert starts to add volume to his 3-point shooting, he will be one of the more valuable wings in the league.
The Brooklyn Nets got quite a steal in LaVert and the Indiana Pacers probably wish they could undo the trade that sent him to New York.
Sacramento Kings
Who they chose: Marquese Chriss
Re-Draft Choice: Malcolm Brogdon
Malcolm Brogdon is another player who would make a big leap if the 2016 draft were done again.
He was chosen in the second round by the Milwaukee Bucks, who quickly found they had a steal in the gritty Brogdon.
Unfortunately for the Bucks, they couldn’t afford to keep him and ended up sending him to Indiana in a sign-and-trade.
Brogdon has been great ever since, averaging 16.3 points, 7.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds from the guard position.
Brogdon is big enough to guard three positions, which is a highly valued skilled in today’s position-less NBA.
The Kings took Marquese Chriss originally and traded him to the disaster known as the Phoenix Suns, where he struggled before eventually being traded.
Brogdon is one of the best all-around guards in the league, and if the Kings knew what then what they know now, they’d probably just pick him and not make that trade.
Brogdon is definitely one of the bigger “what-ifs” in this draft and one a lot of teams would like another crack at picking.
Toronto Raptors
Who they chose: Jakob Poltl
Re-draft choice: Fred VanVleet
Fred VanVleet makes the biggest leap of any player in our 2016 NBA lottery re-draft.
VanVleet went undrafted originally, and had to work his way through the G-League after being signed by the Toronto Raptors.
VanVleet is one of the unheralded players that the Raptors have developed in their system, showing their keen eye for talent and guys that fit what they are trying to do.
If the Raptors had to do it again, they would likely just take their guy here, as there is no way VanVleet would fall out of the top-ten if this draft was done again.
He has raised his scoring average to 17.6 points per game and adds 6.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds while playing gritty on the ball defense for the Raptors.
VanVleet is one of the big reasons why the Raptors have been able to continue to compete after losing their best player.
Toronto has been the best team in the league at developing late draft picks and VanVleet is just the latest example of their work.
VanVleet’s hard work has paid off, as he’s entering free agency and will likely get a big deal from someone, perhaps even the New Orleans Pelicans.
VanVleet should give hope to every young player who is on the fringes of making the NBA.
Milwaukee Bucks
Who they chose: Thon Maker
Re-draft choice: Buddy Hield
The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the teams that would definitely like another crack at this draft.
After hitting a home run with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks decided to swing for the fences with another potential high-ceiling guy in Thon Maker.
The Bucks definitely had a plan.
They are not a free agent destination so they decided to take risks on potential high-ceiling, low-floor guys to try to get their superstar in the draft.
If Giannis was their home run, then Thon Maker was a huge strikeout.
The Bucks were questioned for picking Maker this high at the time, and in retrospect it looks even more questionable.
Maker has been okay since being traded to the Pistons for fellow-bust Stanley Johnson, but the Bucks had a chance to add another high-impact player in this draft and missed it.
If they had to do it over again, they would likely just take the best shooter or wing available, which in this case, is Hield.
With an ascending Greek Freak already in place, there was no reason to take this risk and the Bucks would be the first to say that they should have just taken the best player available here.
But they didn’t and now they have nothing to show for the draft.
Maker was a big risk and the Bucks crapped out. They still have the best record in the NBA, but would be a deeper and better team if they had a shooter like Hield to put around Giannis.
Orlando Magic
Who they chose: Domantas Sabonis
Re-draft choice: Dejounte Murray
The Orlando Magic have been looking for a point guard forever, and they are lucky enough to have a good one fall into their laps in our re-draft.
The Magic would definitely like to have this draft back.
Even though they picked a good player in Sabonis, they immediately made a disastrous trade when they sent him, Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilyasova to the Thunder for Serge Ibaka.
This trade made no sense at the time, as Orlando was not a contender and had no real use for a veteran like Ibaka, and the trade looks far worse now.
The Thunder were able to turn those two guys into Paul George, which makes Orlando’s trade seem insane in retrospect, especially since Ibaka was promptly traded for what turned into Terrance Ross and eventually two 2020 picks.
The Thunder and Raptors can both thank the Orlando Magic for making one of the worst trades in modern NBA history, one which helped both of them become contenders while Orlando still doesn’t even have a player from trade.
The Magic, Suns and New Orleans Pelicans probably wish they could forget this draft and the aftermath that came after.
Dejounte Murray has been a solid contributor for the Spurs, averaging 10.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
With Orlando still struggling to find a point guard, they’d love to have this one to do over.
Utah Jazz
Who they chose: Tauren Waller-Prince
Re-draft choice: Taurean Waller-Prince
Taurean Waller-Prince is one of the few players who would likely stay right around the same spot.
The only difference is that Utah may decide to keep him.
Waller-Prince was traded as part of a three-team deal with Indiana and Atlanta that netted the Jazz George Hill.
Hill was good for the Jazz, but played just 49 games before leaving as a free agent.
The Jazz would likely just keep Waller-Prince, who has emerged as a solid young wing for Brooklyn, averaging 12.1 points and six rebounds a game
Utah over-thought this one and should have just kept their draft pick, but teams often trade these types of players in an effort to win now.
The Jazz didn’t win when they traded Waller-Prince for fewer than 50 games of Hill, and now, like all NBA teams, are still looking for wings.
They could have had the one they needed in Waller-Prince, but we’ll never know.
Phoenix Suns
Who they chose: Georgios Papagiannis
Re-draft choice: Kris Dunn
The Phoenix Suns are not a well-run franchise, and this pick is just further evidence of that truth.
The Suns originally got this pick in a trade with Washington that worked out well for the Suns, but they promptly screwed it up.
The Suns traded the pick with Sacramento for the eighth, and sent Papagiannis to the Kings for Marquese Chriss.
This in and of itself would be a nice move for the Suns, except that they added two first round picks, a second pick and the rights to Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Yikes.
Bogdanovic went on to become a good player for the Kings and by far the best player in the trade.
If the Suns could do this again they would probably just take Dunn, whose perimeter defense would be a nice compliment to ball hog Booker.
But the Suns rarely do the right thing, which is why they are in perpetual rebuilding mode.
Chicago Bulls
Who they chose: Denzel Valentine
Re-draft choice: Malik Beasley
The Bulls original pick of Denzel Valentine has not been disastrous, but if they had it to do over again, they’d probably go in a different direction.
There are a lot of guys who could have snuck into the lottery with the benefit of hindsight. Lakers fans would scream “Alex Caruso!”
Others might say Marquese Chriss has done enough to stay in the lottery.
There are definitely several players with a strong case.
But Malik Beasley is exactly the kind of shooting guard the Bulls need.
Beasley’s career has been up and down, but he had recently turned into a top scorer for Minnesota and was looking like a potential steal for the Timberwolves.
Once Beasley started getting big minutes for the Timberwolves he turned into a revelation, averaging 20.7 points per game on 42.6 percent shooting from 3-point range on 8.2 attempts.
Beasley is one of those guys who just needed a chance to show what he can do.
The Timberwolves torched the New Orleans Pelicans with the pick-and-roll in a win just before the hiatus and Beasley looked unstoppable.
A backcourt of Beasley and Zach LaVine would look pretty good right now in Chicago, especially if Beasley keeps up this level of play.
If he does, he may end up going even higher in this re-draft, but since it was such a small sample size, he still falls to the Bulls
The New Orleans Pelicans and the rest of the NBA get it wrong so often that it is a fun and easy exercise to take a look back at the draft.
There are so many things that could have gone differently that it is fair to say that the 2016 NBA draft was a turning point for many teams, including the New Orleans Pelicans.
Who knows how things would have worked out, but it is worth looking back to see what teams could have done differently.
The New Orleans Pelicans are happy with the team they have now, but can’t help but wonder what could have been.