New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: An Ideal Second Round Scenario

With the 45th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans select Nick Richards, the big man from Kentucky

Here it is! Finally, the New Orleans Pelicans get their big man. Some Pelicans fans might have anticipated the team going for a non-traditional big who’s a stretch shooter but David Griffin opts for a talented big in the traditional mold who still has a lot of upside.

That player of course being Kentucky’s Nick Richards. Richards’ is a Jamaican born big man who only started playing basketball as a teen upon moving to the United States. The Pelicans see that history and think Richards is a late bloomer who’s still developing even after being a junior at Kentucky this past season.

Standing at 6’11” with athletic ability to run the floor and a developing offensive game, the Pelicans front office sees Richards at the perfect foil to Jaxson Hayes in a center platoon and the missing piece to completing their roster. Down the line, he could even become the team’s starting center if his development goes as planned.

The Results

Combining what occurred in this scenario with what occurred in our first round scenario gives the Pelicans a draft that’s sure to receive an A grade. You might notice that David Griffin, Trajan Langdon, and the rest of the team’s front office opted to select complementary players with already formed skillsets rather than risky players with potential.

The entire idea for the Pelicans in this scenario was to draft and acquire players from great programs that can instantly compete at the NBA level because the New Orleans Pelicans already have a core of stars that are close to winning.

At the end of this draft, the Pelicans roster would be one step closer to their goal of contention with a primary depth chart shaped like this:

Guards– Lonzo Ball, Jrue Holiday, Tre Jones, J.J. Redick Nickeil Alexander

Wings– Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, Saddiq Bey, Desmond Bane, Gary Clark

Bigs– Jaxson Hayes, Nick Richards

If the New Orleans Pelicans draft plays out like this then they’ll transform from a talented roster with some clear holes to a young roster that’s well-balanced and ready for playoff contention. How does that sound like Pelicans fans?