NBA Draft: Top 3 shooting guards for the New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: Immanuel Quickley is a sharpshooter for the 2nd round

Immanuel Quickley

The New Orleans Pelicans will likely use one of their second-round picks on a guy who possesses one elite NBA skill that can be a weapon off the bench.

I like Quickley’s pedigree, as he comes from Kentucky, which has produced a lot of the NBA’s talent in recent years. Here’s just a sampling:

2015-Karl-Anthony Towns, Trey Lyles, Devin Booker, Willie Cauley-Stein

2016-Jamal Murray, Skal Labissiere

2017– Bam Adebayo, De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk

2018– Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

2019-Tyler Herro, PJ Washington, Kevin Knox

Betting on a Wildcat in the second round seems like a pretty solid plan.

Quickley’s elite skill is shooting, as he knocks down 42.8 percent of his 3-point shots and more than 92 percent from the free-throw line.

But Quickley is not just a scorer. He has a high basketball I.Q. and relentless motor, so he will be an effective team defender in the NBA even though he is only 6-foot-3.

He knows how to play his role and will do what is asked of him in the NBA:

Quickley was a team leader and is being scouted closely by the Miami Heat, who have a pretty good track record of finding shooters in the draft.

The New Orleans Pelicans don’t necessarily need a shooting guard but all of these three fill a role and should have long careers in the NBA.

If the Pelicans like Green’s defensive potential, Ramsey’s scoring pop off the bench or Quickley’s shooting, we might see one or more of them in New Orleans.