New Orleans Pelicans: 3 players to avoid in the NBA Draft

New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: Players to avoid, Deni Avdija

Deni Avdija

Most mock drafts have Deni Avdija going to the Bulls with the fourth pick, so it’s likely he’ll be gone by the time the New Orleans Pelicans choose at 13, which is a good thing.

After the success of international players like Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic, every team is scouring the international scene to find the next superstar from overseas.

International players are difficult to scout, as they often lack experience against top competition, so teams have to forecast what they might look like once they do.

Avdija is a combo forward who many see as the next great Euro-passer, a guy who can make plays for teammates as well as himself.

The problem is that he has not played against top competition. He barely got off the bench for Maccabi Tel Aviv, which is not a good sign for a guy who is projected to be a lottery pick.

When he did get off the bench, he showed erratic shooting, hitting just 27 percent from 3-point range, and even more troubling, 51 percent from the free-throw line.

Shooting is something most players improve, so it is not a dealbreaker, but it is concerning that a top prospect was basically a glorified role player in the Israeli league. The free-throw shooting is a concern, as it is the number that usually shows you what a prospect can be as a shooter.

He is one of those guys who has all of the tools but is not great in any one area. If his shooting improves, I could be wrong, but if not, he could be the next Mario Hezonja, a tempting European big who never has an NBA skill.

Ceiling: A shorter Toni Kukoc

Floor: Nikoloz Tskitishvili