Pelica Debrief
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New Orleans Pelicans: Ranking the last Dozen 12th Picks in the NBA Draft

By Aaron Kellerstrass

Steven Adams #12 against the New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Steven Adams #12 against the New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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New Orleans Pelicans, Gerald Henderson
NEW ORLEANS, LA – MARCH 18: Gerald Henderson #9 of the Portland Trail Blazers against the New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Three 12th Pick Busts

#12 Xavier Henry: 2010, Memphis Grizzlies

Xavier Henry was selected 12th by the Memphis Grizzlies but things never really panned out. He bounced around the league, even doing a short stint with the New Orleans Pelicans, who were still the Hornets at the time.

Henry’s career ended in 2014-15, when he played nine games for the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 2.2 points.

#11 Jason Thompson: 2008, Sacramento Kings

Jason Thompson had a promising start after being taken 12th by the Sacramento Kings. He averaged 11.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in his rookie season, playing in all 82 games for the Kings.

He was even better the next year, but then things started to fall apart.

Thompson’s scoring average dropped every year after that, bottoming out in 2015-16, when he averaged just 3.1 points in what would be his final season in the league.

#10 Gerald Henderson: 2009, Charlotte Hornets

Gerald Henderson was the 12th pick in the 2009 draft for the Charlotte Hornets and had a decent eight-year career in the NBA.

He had a run in Charlotte from 2011-15 where he averaged double digits, peaking at 15.5 points per game in 2012-13 for the Hornets.

He eventually bounced around to Portland, then Philly, where he finished his career in 2016-17, averaging 9.2 points for the 76ers.

The New Orleans Pelicans hope they can do better than these three, who had short and forgettable careers in the NBA.