New Orleans Pelicans: Ranking the last Dozen 12th Picks in the NBA Draft
Two 12th Picks with Unrealized Potential
#6 Dario Saric: 2014, Orlando Magic, traded to Philadelphia 76ers
When the Philadelphia 76ers traded for Dario Saric in 2014, it looked like they had an ideal complement to Joel Embiid.
The 6-foot-10 power forward projected as the type of stretch-four a team with a dominant post player needs to stretch the floor.
Saric has flashed the talent of a top-five pick at times, but was too inconsistent to be part of “The Process” (insert Philly tanking joke here) and was eventually shipped to Minnesota before landing with the Phoenix Suns.
In 2017-18, Saric averaged 14.6 for Philly on 39.3 percent from behind the arc, where he was launching 5.1 a game.
That type of volume and accuracy is exactly what teams like the New Orleans Pelicans are looking for in the modern NBA.
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It feels like Saric is just beginning to scratch the surface of his immense talent and if he could put it all together as he once did in Philly, he will be a valuable player for the re-building Suns.
#5 Luke Kennard: 2017, Detroit Pistons
Luke Kennard is another player who is just beginning to tap into his considerable talent.
Kennard has mostly been slowed by injuries, playing just 28 games this season for the Detroit Pistons before the suspension of play.
That’s too bad for the Pistons, as Kennard was really starting to come on before leaving with injury.
He had improved his scoring average to 15.8 per game and was showing signs of being a plus-playmaker, dishing out 4.1 assists, often in spectacular fashion.
Kennard does the one thing that all NBA teams are looking for, which is shoot the 3-pointer.
He was knocking down 40 percent of his long-range shots on 6.5 attempts per game.
If Kennard can ever stay healthy, he has the offensive skills to be a force in today’s game, where 3-point shooting and playmaking are so important.
Kennard could easily be the best player on this list if he can just stay healthy.
The New Orleans Pelicans would be happy to get a guy like Saric or Kennard, and both could move to the top of this list if everything works out.