New Orleans Pelicans: 3 undrafted players the Pels should audition

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Lamine Diane could be a sleeper pick for the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA draft. (Photo by Loren Orr/Getty Images) /

New Orleans Pelicans: Lamine Diane is worth a two-way deal

Lamine Diane

I’m actually shocked that Lamine Diane did not get drafted, as this was a guy who averaged 25.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, so what gives?

Lamine is a junior, which definitely hurt his stock.

He also played for Cal State Northridge, hardly a powerhouse, so he hasn’t faced elite competition.

The last reason is that Diane shoots just 28.6 percent from 3-point range, albeit on a low number of attempts.

Diane may not be a shooter or have played against the best competition but the dude is a bucket.

He is also an elite athlete who can run the floor in transition and get after it on defense, which could end up being his calling card even though he was one of the NCAA’s leaders in scoring.

Diane will definitely have to refine his game if he wants to make an NBA rotation, as he must get better at shooting from range and creating shots for his teammates.

Diane had an insane 38 percent usage rate in college and still didn’t get many assists, so NBA scouts have to wonder if he is just a ball hog who got a ton of points because there was no one else.

Either way, a 25 point per game scorer is worth a look on a two-way deal.