New Orleans Pelicans: Tyrese Maxey is the next star at pick 13

The New Orleans Pelicans can nab a star with the 13th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft

Building through the draft is how teams create sustained success in the modern NBA. That’s because having homegrown stars gives teams players that are under organizational control for a solid seven seasons at least. That’s why the New Orleans Pelicans are hoping to find a star in the 2020 NBA Draft.

With picks 13, 39, 42, and 60 in the upcoming draft, many writers are suggesting that the Pelicans package their picks to trade up to add a marquee player at the top of the draft. I recently debunked that myth by showcasing a recent trend of star players being taken near the end of the lottery.

It’s my opinion that the New Orleans Pelicans are in one of the sweetest spots in the draft for finding a star at pick 13, and the player I think that’ll be that star is Kentucky’s, Tyrese Maxey.

Why I believe Tyrese Maxey will be the next superstar shooting guard taken at pick 13

When I look at Tyrese Maxey, I see a star in the making. He’s a player that I view as next in line with Zach Lavine, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, and Tyler Herro who were all former 13th picks. Specifically, he reminds me of those fellow Kentucky guards in Booker and Herro.

See, if you put on the tape for Tyrese Maxey, you’ll see an elite shooting guard. Maxey is aggressive when it comes to attacking the paint and elite defender. Then if you look at Maxey’s stats, you’ll see averages of 14 points and 3 assists per game which are nothing to write home about.

This is what happens to Kentucky shooting guards like Booker, Herro, and now Maxey, they play in John Calipari’s equal-opportunity where no one player is greater than the team. The result is these players’ talents get hidden and they fall in the draft.

This is why the New Orleans Pelicans should want Tyrese Maxey because history shows that he has the potential to be a star, and the eye test will tell you that too. Even if the Pelicans have players like Jrue Holiday, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Josh Hart already on the roster. With a lottery pick, you take the best player available.

I also believe Maxey will help a lot of the Pelicans’ weaknesses quickly too. I recently evaluated who the Pelicans should select based on the team’s weakest advanced metrics, and Maxey was the pick.

Adding Tyrese Maxey to the New Orleans Pelicans gives them a wing player who is elite at creating his shot. He can shoot it from deep and get to the rim to score or draw fouls. Two aspects of the game that the Pelicans were weak in last season.

Maxey is also a strong defender and someone who I compared to a young Jrue Holiday. Adding Maxey to the Pelicans gives the team a successor to Jrue Holiday whenever they decide to move on from him.

Oh, and one last thing, Tyrese Maxey is a closer. He’s the type of player that wants the ball at the end of games and knows what to do with it. Last season the New Orleans Pelicans were one of the worst teams in clutch situations, adding Maxey at pick 13 might give them a solution to that issue.

Why waste draft capital and prospects that can be used to add veteran contributors for a playoff run on moving up in the draft? If the New Orleans Pelicans just stay at pick 13 then they could find themselves with the steal of the draft in Tyrese Maxey and have one of the most talented squads in the Western Conference for years to come.