Appearing and thriving in some big-time games in college, Saddiq Bey brings an instant impact to a team like the New Orleans Pelicans in this year’s draft.
The New Orleans Pelicans have a long few months ago until the NBA Draft, but Saddiq Bey from the Villanova Wildcats might be the best target for the team, both within their range and on their board as a whole.
While the front office will have a long time to put their big board together over the next few months, Bey’s package is one of the most promising of any potential fit for the Pelicans. Plus he could see his fair share of playing time during his first season, thus speeding up development.
Projecting as a range-y, 3-and-D wing with a high floor, the two-way impact of Bey seems likely to be felt from his first season in the NBA. Bey is 6’8″ and 216 pounds but will need to add muscle in the NBA if he wants to be great.
Bey’s shooting stroke is already really strong, something you love to see in a prospect who you’re aware will take a little extra development at the back end of the lottery.
Maryland native Saddiq Bey is ready to go 🎯 pic.twitter.com/lQzbTKqohb
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) March 7, 2020
Shooting coach Fred Vinson will still have some things he’ll want to tune in the 21-year-old’s shot form, it would be huge for the Pelicans to acquire a great shooter for their bench considering the high-probability of E’Twaun Moore signing elsewhere this offseason.
During his 2019-2020 season at Villanova, the sophomore averaged 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and shot an awe-inducing 45.1% from three on 5.6 attempts per game, playing the leading role on a team that finished tied atop the Big East at 24-7 (13-5).
Further, the forward played pretty remarkable defense in college, posting a 101.4 defensive rating and a robust +1.9 defensive box plus/minus even though Villanova played the 23rd-hardest schedule in the country.
The New Orleans Pelicans, of course, need to find solutions to their defensive woes this offseason; adding Bey in the draft would be a nice first step.
Winning the Julius Erving Award, presented to the nation’s best small forward in college basketball for the given year in addition to being named to a First Teamer in the Big East conference, the sophomore forward picked up nice college accolades even without chasing a title this year.
Right now, the Pelicans are lacking players that fit on the wing behind Brandon Ingram.
Even if the organization is happy with young players like Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Didi Louzada, those players don’t have the size to cover on the wing with their second unit; this team currently is saturated with guard talent, but don’t have that same boost developing on the wing.
The Pelicans already have one accredited Villanova alumni in-house with Josh Hart, someone who seems like a part of this team’s bench for the long haul.
Bey would ideally be a starter on the wing (perhaps not immediately), even having someone like Hart, who knows the Villanova development process, would benefit in the prospect’s acclimation to the NBA.
While the team could go with one of the more prestigious prospects in this year’s draft if they hit the lottery again, it seems unlikely that the Pelicans will have the same luck on this year’s board.
So, what’s the ceiling for Bey look like? Can he be a nice rotational piece for a contending team? Can he be a starter for a team with the Finals in mind?
Potentially, Bey projects as someone like Robert Covington. Perhaps without the defensive ceiling and with a little bit better of a long-term projection as a scorer, Bey seems like someone you’d want to add to a team trying to build a future title contender.
The New Orleans Pelicans should be set for the future at the small forward spot once they ink Brandon Ingram to a long-term extension this summer, but they need to keep adding pieces that can positively affect their group of wings, an gaining and limited group as currently constructed.
Bey might not be the most thrilling or complete prospect on the board, but he would certainly make sense in an off-the-ball role in New Orleans.
The organization might have a long time between now and draft day, but Saddiq Bey seems like someone who could help this New Orleans Pelicans team keep adding to their promising core of talent.