Pelicans NBA Draft: 2nd round sleeper compares to Pascal Siakam

The New Orleans Pelicans have three chances to find a sleeper in the 2nd round of the NBA Draft.

The New Orleans Pelicans have to approach this NBA Draft with an open mind and plenty of phones.

With such little time to evaluate players and not much tape to look at, teams are going to have to rely more on the instincts and predictions of scouts than ever before.

This could lead to a record number of draft day trades as teams try to trade down or even out in a draft where there is no real consensus about who the best players are.

This could also lead to a lot of talent that gets overlooked in the first round, which is good for the New Orleans Pelicans, who have three picks in the second round.

They may end up packaging all three to move up to the back half of the first round, especially if there is a wing defender there that they like, someone like Michigan State forward Xavier Tillman.

But if the Pelicans do end up using their second-rounders, they will either look for guys with one elite skill that can be developed or late bloomers who might have their best basketball in front of them.

One such player is Lamine Diane out of Cal State Northridge. Diane is not a name most basketball fans are familiar with, as he played in the Big West, which does not have the best competition in the country.

But Lamine Diane can flat out play and may just be beginning to tap into his potential. He comes from Senegal and didn’t really start playing until high school, so Diane could be a late bloomer who ends up contributing in the NBA.

Here are his strengths and weaknesses, as well as how he fits on the Pelicans.