New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: 3 reasons Kira Lewis was the wrong pick

New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: Kira Lewis Jr. was not the right selection

#3: Was Kira Lewis Jr. even the best point guard left?

Lewis Jr. was the fourth point guard taken in the draft after LaMelo Ball, Killian Hayes and Tyrese Haliburton.

Point guard was supposed to be the deepest position in the draft, but there were several left on the board who most sites had ranked higher than Lewis Jr.

The Pelicans could have had Cole Anthony, a guy who had rocketed up draft boards lately, or R.J. Hampton, who they actually picked and then traded to Denver.

If one of these other point guards becomes a star and Lewis Jr. doesn’t, the Pels are going to look foolish, as most people did not have him going this high.

There were also a bevy of wings still available, guys like Aaron Nesmith (my personal choice), Josh Green or Saddiq Bey, who went to the Pistons at 19 and could be the steal of the draft.

In other words, the Pels took a big gamble on a guy that is definitely not a sure thing. Of course, there are no sure things in the draft, so any pick carries risk, but a guy like Saddiq Bey has a much higher floor than Lewis Jr. albeit with a lower ceiling as well.

The Pels must have thought Kira Lewis Jr. was the best player available because they are loaded at the position and he doesn’t fill a need.

If he ends up becoming the next star in the league, I will eat my words gladly, but until then, I have to wonder if there were better guys for the New Orleans Pelicans in this draft.