The New Orleans Pelicans have three picks in the second round of the 2020 NBA draft, which means they can take a risk on raw players with upside.
The New Orleans Pelicans are in an enviable position in this year’s NBA draft. With a ton of young talent already on the roster, they can draft for potential rather than need.
This is especially true in the second round, when the Pelicans will have three picks and can shoot for some low-floor, high-ceiling players to develop.
The New Orleans Pelicans currently have the 39th, 42nd and 60th picks in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft.
It is highly unlikely that any of these picks will make the roster, but with the G-League starting to flourish and more teams using it effectively, the Pelicans can stash these guys until they are ready.
The Toronto Raptors have done this brilliantly, developing players like Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet on their G-League team. Players that helped them win a title.
The G-League is no longer career suicide for players and more teams will be using it after what Toronto has done.
This is going to be the craziest NBA draft of all time, as teams have had less chance to scout players after the cancellation of March Madness.
This draft has so many unknowns that it is just as likely that the best player will be drafted from outside the top-ten as from within it.
With far less time to scout players, there are going to be a lot of busts, but also chances for teams to grab guys that have dropped because no one has seen them play.
The New Orleans Pelicans will have a real chance to pick a developmental project in the second round that may eventually make an impact on an NBA roster.
With no glaring holes and a ton of youth, the Pelicans can use the second round like their own lottery, choosing players with high upside to develop.
Here are two players from the University of Illinois who may fit that description. Both have intriguing skills and glaring flaws, but could be nice players if it all comes together.
Kofi Cockburn: Center, University of Illinois
Strengths: Rim protection, Physicality
Weaknesses: Shooting range, Lateral Movement
Key Statistic: 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks per game as a freshman
How he fits on the New Orleans Pelicans:
If you lined all of the 2020 NBA prospects up and made teams choose based solely on looks, then Kofi Cockburn might be the number one pick.
The freshman center out of the University of Illinois already has an NBA frame, in fact, most NBA players wish they were built like Cockburn.
The 7-foot, 290 lb. Jamaican has the body of a young Shawn Kemp or Dwight Howard. He is strong, and has more fast-twitch muscle mass than practically any prospect in any sport, including the NFL.
This alone will get him looks from NBA teams when and if the draft finally happens.
Cockburn was gifted in track and field, soccer and cricket as well as basketball and was considered a four-star recruit when he signed with the University of Illinois.
Cockburn won the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year award after posting 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.
The Big Ten was the best conference in the country going into March Madness, though the conference is not necessarily loaded with frontline NBA talent.
Cockburn showed he can protect the rim, run the floor and will probably get even stronger once he gets in an NBA training room.
There is a lot to like about Cockburn as a rim protecting center who can catch lobs and run the floor.
But Cockburn does have some glaring weaknesses. He has no post game and when I say “no post game” I mean none. He is as raw as raw can be when it comes to offensive skills.
Though Cockburn occasionally shows nice touch for a guy his size, he has no shooting range at all and may never develop it.
He does shoot 67% from the line, not great by any means, but his shot doesn’t have any major mechanical problems and at times it is even smooth.
Cockburn could develop a 12-15 foot jumper at some point in his career, but he never projects as a guy who will score much.
In other words, he has the potential to be the perfect center for the New Orleans Pelicans, who have plenty of scoring and need guys who can play defense and protect the rim.
Cockburn gets into foul trouble a lot, has iffy hands and won’t score much, but he has the potential to be a plus-defender and rebounder in the NBA.
Imagine a less-refined Derrick Favors and you are close to where Cockburn is as a player.
He’s definitely a project, but one that could pay off big for a team looking for a rim protecting center to develop.
Ayo Dosunmu: Shooting Guard, University of Illinois
Strengths: Getting to the rim and finishing, length, motor, defensive potential
Weaknesses: 3-point shooting
Key Statistic: 29.6 percent from 3-point range on 3.3 attempts
How he fits on the New Orleans Pelicans:
Ayo Dosunmu is another intriguing prospect out of the University of Illinois. Though he has not officially declared for the draft, he is expected to do so soon.
He made first-team All-Big Ten after averaging 16.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game for the Illini.
Like Cockburn, Dosunmu has many of the physical traits teams are looking for. He has good height at 6-foot-5 but more importantly, has a 6-foot-9 wingspan.
This gives him the length to potentially guard multiple positions in the NBA, which is something all teams are looking for in a shooting guard or wing.
Dosunmu even played point guard at times for the Illini, so he has decent handles and isn’t afraid to be the go-to guy.
Dosunmu has a strange, herky jerky offensive game, but seems to find a way to slither to the rim and has the ability to finish with either hand.
Dosunmu is particularly good at running off of screens for dribble handoffs and has the speed to just keep going to the rim.
His plus-length makes his shot hard to block and a times Dosunmu would look like the best player on the floor for either team.
Dosunmu was considered a first round prospect coming into the season and with all of these strengths it seems like a no-brainer.
But then you see him shoot.
Dosunmu shot 35.2 percent from 3-point range on 4.4 attempts his freshman season, numbers that had NBA scouts excited.
He was never going to be a top shooter, but with his length and potential on the defensive end, league average would work just fine.
Something happened between his freshman and sophomore seasons because Dosunmu forgot how to shoot.
His 3-point average dipped to 29.6 percent on just 3.3 attempts per game, numbers which sunk his potential draft position from sure-fire first rounder to might not be drafted.
If you’ve seen Dosunmu shoot a 3-pointer you know what I mean. He has an awkward release and terrible footwork, kicking out the foot on his shooting foot, which causes an off-balance release and landing.
However, the New Orleans Pelicans’ assistant coach Fred Vinson has had good results with guys who had broken shots.
Ask Lonzo Ball, who now shoots over 38 percent from 3-point range after working with Vinson and we all know how bad Lonzo’s shooting form was.
If Dosunmu could ever develop even an average long-range shot, he could be a very nice 3-and-D type for someone.
With some time with the shot doctor and the G-League, Dosunmu could be an NBA rotation player for a long time.
Neither of these players are going to make an impact in the league right away, but the New Orleans Pelicans have the luxury of time.
They can draft players in the second round who might fit in years down the road, when they will need more youth and cheap players to fill out a rotation.
Both Cockburn and Dosunmu offer intriguing upside for developmental projects and will likely be available when the Pelicans pick in the second round.
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