Pelicans draft: Possible 1st and 2nd round pick in Tennessee vs. OSU
Possible Pelicans draft picks: Keon Johnson
Keon Johnson is a guy I have actually seen mocked to the Pelicans a few times, so he is much more likely to be a guy they could draft.
He also would fill an immediate need, as Johnson is a shooting guard with good size who projects to be a plus-defender in the NBA.
He is not much of a scorer, but you might have noticed the Pels have plenty of those. You also might have noticed that their defense is among the worst in the NBA, so choosing a guy who projects as a defensive specialist is not a bad option.
Johnson’s number are not going to jump out at you, but he is a lengthy and athletic shooting guard who is active on defense and has the tools to be a plus-defender, which is something the Pels desperately need, especially with the way Eric Bledsoe has devolved on that end.
Johnson can get to the rack and finish in traffic, which is another thing the Pels need from the perimeter but he is a terrible shooter, so that is a big knock against him.
Next. 5 players on bad teams the Pels could target. dark
He is another player whose draft status could be improved with a big showing in the tournament, starting tonight against Oregon State.
It would be nice to see Tennessee win this one, as Johnson is a guy in the Pelicans’ range and I’d love to see more of him before the draft.
The New Orleans Pelicans can’t afford to take any more duds in the draft and will be watching these tournament games closely.