New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: 2nd Round Rim Protectors to Target

New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: Udoka Azubuike

Udoka Azubuike: Center, Kansas

The Pelicans clearly need more size, and if nothing else, Udoka Azubuike brings size.

He is 7-feet tall, weighs 270 lbs. and has a whopping 7-foot-7 wingspan, one of the longest in the country.

Azubuike is from Nigeria and didn’t play organized basketball until he was a teenager, so he is still learning the nuances of the game, but he is a quick learner.

He averaged 13.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game for Kansas in his senior season, numbers that went up steadily each year he was there.

He led the country in field goal percentage because he does nothing but dunk. He’s not going to stretch the floor, but what he does is swat everything that gets near the hoop:

GIven that this guy has only been playing basketball for a few years, he is certain to get better, especially when it comes to instincts on defense.

He could be a weapon in short bursts off the bench, both offensively and as a rim protector. He and Zion Williamson would be nearly 600 lbs. combined, so the Pelicans would finally have the size they need to compete in the West.

This is a guy who could end up being a steal if he falls to the second round, and if he is there at 39, the Pelicans will have to consider him.

Both of these players have the size and skill set to be effective defenders in the NBA. If the Pelicans can find a low-cost rim protector in the second round, it will make completing the rest of their roster much easier.