March Madness is upon us and Pelicans fans should be paying close attention to the NCAA tournament.
The Pels are currently eleventh in the western conference, only one spot off a play-in tournament spot but still firmly in the NBA draft lottery. Although New Orleans has arguably disappointed this season, there is no pressure on them to win right off the bat.
Their franchise player, Zion Williamson, is just 20-years-old and already an all-star in his second season. Nine of their current players are 23 or under, led by Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball. That is why I think that the Pelicans need to have a long-term approach to things, rather than just doing everything possible to make the playoffs this season.
If that means another year in the draft lottery, so be it. The 2021 draft is shaping up to be a good one and there are several players that could pique the Pels’ interest.
Tankathon, a draft projection website, currently has the Pelicans picking ninth overall, 35th, 36th, and 42nd. With those rough picks in mind, here are five first-round NCAA tournament that the Pels should keep an eye on:
New Orleans Pelicans: Arkansas vs. Colgate (March 19)
If the Pelicans end up getting the ninth pick in the draft, one name that should be heavily under consideration is Arkansas wing Moses Moody.
Moody has been one of the most productive freshmen in NCAA basketball this season. He wasn’t highly touted coming out of high school at Montverde Academy, where he played with multiple other outstanding recruits, but he has quickly blossomed into a legit top ten pick for the Razorbacks.
Moody’s appeal is that he is a plug-and-play type with room to grow. Moody can instantly make an impact in the NBA as a 3-and-D wing. He is making 38 percent of his threes and can guard up and down positions. I like to think of him as an upgraded Josh Hart, even down to the tenacious rebounding.
Expect to hear more from me about Moody as the draft gets closer.
New Orleans Pelicans: Texas Tech vs. Utah State (March 19)
This game is more about the New Orleans Pelicans’ second round picks. Of course, those could always end up getting packed in a trade deal or an agreement on draft night to move up, but it’s what we’re working with for now.
My names to watch here are Terrence Shannon Jr. for Texas Tech and Neemias Queta for Utah State.
Shannon is another wing prospect who has interested NBA teams going back to his freshman season last year. The big question about Shannon then wasn’t about his versatility or defensive potential, but rather, his shot.
Shannon only shot 26 percent from three in his first year with the Red Raiders, but has upped that to a more respectable 35 percent this year. His free throw numbers also give you some hope that he could develop into a solid shooter that could potentially outweigh his initial draft expectations. In my eyes, Shannon is a “buy low” prospect that the Pels could take a punt on in the second round.
Queta is more unlikely, but he’s previously been considered someone with NBA potential. The Portuguese center appeared to have stagnated after a first big season for Utah State, but he is back on the radar ahead of the NCAA tournament.
In his junior year, Queta is averaging 15 points and three blocks per game. He even had a nine block outing against Colorado State on March 12 and is averaging five rejections per night over the last five contests.
A legit seven footer with NBA athleticism and rim protection potential is bound to get looks. Maybe they won’t come in the draft, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see Queta get Summer League or G League invites in the near future.
New Orleans Pelicans: Tennessee vs. Oregon State (March 19)
Another interesting matchup for the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday is Tennessee taking on Oregon State.
The Tennessee Volunteers are one of the best teams in college basketball and are starting to get the recruiting classes to go along with that reputation. Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer, both of their marquee freshmen, should interest the Pelicans.
Johnson is an uber-athletic guard who can handle the ball, fly high, and sneakily create for his teammates. My biggest concern about him is his shot. I think he lives too much in the mid-range and the post for an NBA shooting guard—or even a wing since he could probably play the 3—and needs to better his outside shot.
Picking Springer at ninth, for instance, would be a huge gamble by the Pels front office, but I don’t think it is entirely unreasonable. Springer projects optimally as a role player to complement the stars in the association. He doesn’t demand many touches, makes mature decisions, and has shown that he can shoot the ball from deep. I still want to see a bigger sample size, though, as Springer takes less than two threes per game.
New Orleans Pelicans: Gonzaga vs. Norfolk St. or Appalachian St. (March 20)
We still don’t know who Gonzaga will face on Saturday, but New Orleans Pelicans fans shouldn’t be too concerned about that. However, it will be an interesting game no matter what given Gonzaga’s status as the top team in the country and the unlikely possibility of an upset.
Beyond that, Pels fans should focus on Corey Kispert. Jalen Suggs is the Gonzaga player that has gotten the most hype and will likely be a top five pick, but the Pels aren’t looking at those selections right now. Instead, Kispert is a shooter that New Orleans should be keeping tabs if they get a top ten pick.
Kispert is having an extremely productive senior season. He has consolidated himself as one of the top shooters in the country, making 44 percent of his threes, 65 percent of his two-pointers, and 90 percent of his free throws. Those are just incredible numbers.
Kispert is not as flashy or young as other prospects, but he could be ready to contribute right off the bat in the NBA. He can shoot the ball in all different types of ways, be it spotting up or on the move. His upside is limited to an extent, but he is a great fit for the Pelicans, especially since they are in need of more floor-spacers.
New Orleans Pelicans: LSU vs. St. Bonaventure (March 20)
Lastly, New Orleans Pelicans fans should take a look at LSU’s Cameron Thomas in the NCAA tournament’s first round.
Thomas is a sniper that can get you buckets at any given moment. He is putting up historic numbers at LSU, scoring 23 points per game and being their go-to guy as a freshman. At one point, he was mentioned along the likes of Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley in terms of scoring prowess at the college level.
The question marks surrounding Thomas pertain to his efficiency and individuality of his play. Thomas is only shooting 41 percent from the field and will probably be perceived by some as an inefficient shot chucker given the volume of field goals he takes. On top of that, he doesn’t really create for others and turns over the ball more than he assists.
Still, Thomas can score in bunches. Put him on the Pels right now and he probably becomes a sparkplug off the bench. Thomas going in the top ten is a stretch, in my opinion, but he won’t fall to the second round either.
Still, I wanted to include him because of the possibility I mentioned earlier about the Pels packaging two or three of their second-round picks to move up in the draft. If New Orleans gets into the 15-30 places, the consensus on players there is all over the place and they would have a good chance of snatching Thomas and him dynamiting the Pels’ second units next season.