We won’t know for a few seasons how the 2020 NBA Draft turned out for the New Orleans Pelicans but it’s fair to think about what might have been.
The Pelicans’ primary problem this season has been bench depth, as just about everyone has been awful except for Josh Hart.
The Pelicans only used one of their four draft picks in 2020 and the one guy they did take, Kira Lewis Jr., has not contributed much.
Kira’s limited minutes and the Pels’ limited depth makes me wonder how things could look if the Pels had done their draft differently.
This is not meant to be an indictment of Kira Lewis Jr., as he hasn’t played enough to judge and he could end up being a star.
There were several things the Pelicans could have done differently in the 2020 NBA Draft.
New Orleans Pelicans: What if the Pelicans had kept their 2nd-round picks?
I have no idea if someone like Jordan Nwora or Paul Reed would be getting minutes for the Pelicans right now, as 2nd-round picks are always a crapshoot.
I do know that the rival Grizzlies took Xavier Tillman, a guy I wrote about endlessly before the draft, four spots ahead of the Pelicans and it’s possible they might have been able to use their other picks to move up to get him.
Tillman is starting and playing impact minutes for the Grizzlies.
There might not have been another guy like that for the Pels in the 2nd-round, but given their lack of depth, it might have been worth a shot.
New Orleans Pelicans: Should the Pels have taken Kira Lewis Jr.?
It is far too early to know what Kira Lewis Jr. is going to be in the NBA.
His ceiling is a guy who can get 20 points a game while setting up his teammates and his floor is a change-of-pace point guard off the bench, a la Ish Smith.
The Pelicans knew he wasn’t going to play right away, as he was one of the youngest players in the draft and plays the league’s most difficult position.
But now that the draft is over and we’re seeing some of the other rookies play, it’s fair to wonder how some of them might look on the New Orleans Pelicans.
Cole Anthony, Isaiah Stewart, Saddiq Bey, Precious Achiuwa, Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley are all already playing minutes and doing things the Pelicans could use off the bench.
I’m not calling Kira Lewis Jr. a bust and I am actually high on what he can eventually be, but these guys all have upside too, so it’s fair to question if David Griffin should have gone in a different direction.
We have to see more from Kira Lewis Jr. before we can make a judgment on the 2020 NBA Draft but what is clear is that the Pels lack depth and could have had some more for this season and not just the future.
New Orleans Pelicans: Should the Pelicans have moved up for LaMelo Ball?
One of the most hotly debated topics before the draft was whether the Pelicans could try to move up by trading with either the Golden State Warriors or Charlotte Hornets in order to take LaMelo Ball.
The Ball Brothers have always expressed an interest in playing together and the Pels probably had the ammunition to make it happen.
The Ball super fans wanted it of course while others questioned the fit and whether the Pels need another point guard or playmaker.
That question has been answered. They do.
LaMelo Ball has been great so far and is the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. With the improved play of Lonzo Ball over the last several games, it is fun to wonder what the Pels might look like if they had both of them.
There is no telling what the Pelicans would have had to give up, and not many predicted that LaMelo would be this good this early, but they are one of the few teams who had the right combination of young talent and draft assets to move up.
What if the Pels had offered some combination of NAW, Jaxson Hayes, the 13th pick and a future 1st for LaMelo? I don’t know if Charlotte would have bitten on that deal or not but I do know the Pels would do it now in a heartbeat and not think twice.
It’s easy to look back on a draft in hindsight and say what should have happened but it’s also fun to ask what could have.