New Orleans Pelicans: Pros and Cons of Trading for the No. 1 Pick in the 2020 NBA Draft
Pro of the New Orleans Pelicans trading for 1st Pick: The Ball Brothers
If the Pelicans were to trade up for the number one pick, one of their options would be LaMelo, brother of Lonzo Ball.
A Ball Brothers pairing in New Orleans would be fun and exciting for many reasons. Firstly, LaMelo, like Lonzo, is a tall, gifted point guard who can pass and will eventually have the tools to be an elite defender like his brother.
The Pelicans would have two of the best playmakers in the NBA and potentially a trio of guards in the Balls and Holiday who could lock up the opposing guards.
The Pelicans need a backup point guard to run the second unit, preferably one who is a pass-first guy who can get open looks for the many jump shooters the Pelicans have coming off their bench.
Guys like J.J. Redick, Nicolo Melli and Josh Hart can all shoot, but have trouble getting their own shots. LaMelo would be the perfect point guard for the bench team.
Not only that, the Pelicans would have Jrue Holiday’s eventual replacement if they choose not to extend him and maybe even if they do.
Oklahoma City has had a lot of success running small ball lineups with three point guards and the Pelicans could potentially run teams off the floor putting the Balls, Holiday, Ingram and Zion on the floor at the same time for short bursts.
With Lonzo, LaMelo and Zion the Pelicans would have the most entertaining young team in the NBA by far, would get constant media attention, which would eventually draw marquee free agents who wanted to win titles on a new and improved version of “Lob City.”
If you think Zion is getting a lot of attention now, wait until he is catching lobs from both Ball brothers.
The Balls have made it clear that they want to play together, and if the Pelicans can make it happen, it will almost ensure that they can lock up Lonzo for the long-term.
There’s a lot to like about having the Balls locked up in New Orleans. (weird sentence)