New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: 4 Players to select with a top 10 pick
By Nick Alvarez
New Orleans Pelicans Target #3- LaMelo Ball, Guard, Illawarra Hawks
Yes, you read that right, the New Orleans Pelicans might want another top selection to bring the glory days of Chino Hills High School down to New Orleans. That would mean bringing in LaMelo Ball to play with his older brother Lonzo.
This is a direction that a lot of people have written about and while I don’t think it’s likely the Pelicans go in this direction or even get high enough to select LaMelo, it’s still possible.
The reason why the Pelicans could target LaMelo goes beyond just his brother though, many evaluators think he’s the best player in the entire draft. We’ve even written about how many talent evaluators think he’ll be a better player than Lonzo.
It also has to do with the fact that LaMelo stands a legit 6’7″ and possesses a passing acumen that can only be described as elite. He has the look of the NBA’s next jumbo-playmaker. Add that talent to his brother’s passing ability, and the scoring forces of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, the Pelicans could put together the Harlem Globetrotters.
Of course, LaMelo comes with a lot of concerns too. Will his offensive scoring and shot come together enough to make him elite? Will his self-absorbed attitude fly? Those are just two that come to mind before we even consider LaMelo’s defensive issues that Stan Van Gundy won’t stand for.