New Orleans Pelicans mock 2nd round NBA Draft 2.0

New Orleans Pelicans 2nd Round NBA mock Draft: Pick 42

Paul Reed: Power Forward, Depaul

You might notice a theme here.

Paul Reed is another long combo forward who can defend multiple positions and will come into the league a little bit older as a junior out of DePaul.

He is also another guy who might not fall this far, but if he does, the Pelicans should take a hard look.

If you’ve been watching the playoffs, you’d see that the Miami Heat have made the NBA Finals largely because of the play of their wings. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder are all big wings who can defend.

Reed profiles as a guy who can do the same, as he is a gifted shot blocker who averages 2.6 blocks and 1.9 steals per game. The Pelicans need wings who can defend and Reed could end up being a plus defender in the NBA.

He is a plus athlete with a huge wingspan that he uses to be disruptive all over the floor.

This is a guy who the Pels may have to trade up to get, but he has the type of motor and intensity they currently lack. He is not the greatest shooter in the world, but he could eventually mold into the prototypical 3-and-D wing for the Pelicans.

In my opinion, the Pelicans should draft as many defensive wings as possible so that there is a chance one of them turns out to be an impact defender.

Player Comparison: A poor man’s Pascal Siakam

Fallback pick if Reed is gone: Killian Tillie: PF, Gonzaga