Jalen Johnson could be the next Pelicans’ draft pick from Duke

The New Orleans Pelicans once had so many players from Duke University that people were starting to call them Duke South.

But after some offseason shake ups and a midseason trade of J.J. Redick, the Pelicans are down to just two former Blue Devils, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

Though Duke has been a powerhouse in college basketball for decades, a lot of their NBA talent has been hit or miss up until recently when Zion Williamson put Duke back on the NBA map.

The Pelicans are currently vacillating between the playoff hunt and the lottery and it looks as though they will have around the 10th pick unless something changes either way.

According to FiveThirtyEight, the Pelicans have just a 29 percent chance of making the playoffs, so it is not too early to start looking at where they could end up and who they might pick.

But what are the New Orleans Pelicans’ biggest needs?

New Orleans Pelicans: What the Pels need in the NBA Draft

The 2021 NBA Draft is loaded with talent, so if the Pelicans stay in the lottery, they should be able get someone who can help right away.

I’ve talked about the types of players they need to add around Zion Williamson and it basically comes down to versatile defenders who can shoot.

The Pels have plenty of offense, as Zion and Ingram account for nearly 60 points a game themselves, so the Pels need long, athletic defenders, especially on the wing.

There are a few interesting wings in this draft who could be in the Pelicans’ range, including Jalen Johnson from Duke University.

Here are his strengths and weaknesses, as well as how he would fit on the New Orleans Pelicans.