New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: 4 Players to select with a top 10 pick

New Orleans Pelicans Target #1- James Wiseman, Big, Memphis

Now I’ll fully admit that even if the Pelicans acquire another top 10 picks that they might still need Wiseman to fall, but I think that’s an entirely possible scenario. The NBA Draft is all about teams falling in love with what they see out of prospects, and given that Wiseman only played 3 college games and the lack of predraft workouts the team can run due to COVID-19, Wiseman could slip to the New Orleans Pelicans.

If that happens, I think the New Orleans Pelicans would love to acquire him because he feels like the best player in the draft. From an athletic standpoint, he’s a marvel. Standing at 7 feet tall and having a filled-out frame, he’s exactly the build teams want from a modern franchise big man.

Then I look at Wiseman’s defensive ability, he’s a player that I think can walk into the league and be an above-average rim-protector and interior defender which would be a massive get for the Pelicans since they were one of the worst defenses in the league when it came to protecting the paint.

I also think that the New Orleans Pelicans have the coaching staff and time to help Wiseman blossom on the offensive end of the floor where he’s shown brief flashes of greatness. Stan Van Gundy’s staff should be able to develop Wiseman’s shot and post-game very well.

In the end, the acquisition of Wiseman is about the New Orleans Pelicans saying checkmate to the rest of the young teams in the league. Putting together a roster of young players who were all either the best or second-best players in their class would create a young elite nucleus of stars that are needed to become a contender in the NBA.