How the New Orleans Pelicans’ division rivals fared in the 2020 NBA Draft
By Nick Alvarez
The Memphis Grizzlies will a tough out for the New Orleans Pelicans once again this season after adding to their young core
Memphis Grizzlies
- Traded two future second-round picks to the Boston Celtics for pick #30
- Selected Desmond Bane with the 30th pick
- Traded pick #40 and a future second-round pick to the Sacramento Kings for pick #35
- Selected Xavier Tillman with the 35th pick
The Memphis Grizzlies quietly came away as a draft night winner in my book for adding two tough high-IQ players in Desmond Bane and Xavier Tillman. Many draft evaluators will also agree with me.
For me, seeing the Grizzlies make these moves was tough because I thought both of those prospects would be excellent fits here in New Orleans. Instead, I’ll have to watch them play for one of the Pelicans’ biggest rivals.
These moves should definitely catch the eyes of Pelicans fans even if they appear to smaller than Dallas’. The Mavericks are adding two quality young players to a core that already features Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, Justice Winslow, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Brandon Clarke.
The Grizzles may be missing Jaren Jackson Jr. due to a torn meniscus this season, but the rest of the young players on this team will still make them a tough out. That’s because the Grizzlies have one of the best young coaches in the league in Taylor Jenkins who knows how to make these players excel.
Every time the Pelicans matched up with the Grizzlies last season, including in the bubble the games felt like heavyweight title fights. I fully expect that same kind of energy to carry into next season for what I think is one of the NBA’s best young rivalries.