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.
New Orleans Pelicans: Jalen Johnson’s strengths
On paper, there are few players who fit what the New Orleans Pelicans need more than Jalen Johnson from Duke.
This is a guy who has the size to play both forward positions, which is something the Pelicans need, as they don’t really have future backups for Zion or Ingram.
Johnson is a versatile defender with good hands who blocks shots, grabs steals and can defend multiple positions, which are skills the Pelicans definitely need.
Johnson is also a plus-rebounder and 3-point shooter, knocking down 44 percent of his long-range shots, albeit on low volume.
He can get to the rim and finish and could develop into a tough pick-and-roll player if he can take better care of the ball.
He has the length and motor to be a plus-defender at the next level and if he can knock down the NBA 3-point shot, could be a solid two-way player.
New Orleans Pelicans: Jalen Johnson’s weaknesses
There are a lot of question marks around Johnson’s offensive game. He doesn’t have great handles, doesn’t create much from the perimeter and hasn’t shot the kind of volume from 3-point range that you’d like from a wing.
Johnson can get to the rim and he does have some point guard skills with the ball, but he turns it over way too much and teams are just going to sag off him until he prove that he can hit the 3-point shot consistently at a higher volume.
If he can knock them down, his ability to penetrate will be a big plus in the NBA, but if he can’t his offensive game could lack against elite defenders.
Johnson also missed valuable developmental time by opting out of the season early, which could cause him to drop in the draft as there are some questions about his attitude.
Personally, I don’t blame him for opting out of a season that carries increased risk to amateur athletes who are not being paid, but we’ll see if NBA teams feel the same way.
How would Jalen Johnson look on the Pelicans?
Jalen Johnson’s fit on the New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans have the 29th ranked defense in the NBA, so unless they luck out and land in the top-five, they need to draft for defense.
Johnson projects as a guy who could be elite in that area in the NBA, as he has good length, athleticism and can defend all over the floor.
This is a guy who knows how to use his length to disrupt plays with blocked shots and steals and has often been compared to a guy like Stephen Jackson, a tough and versatile defender.
Depending on how things go in the offseason, the Pelicans might have an opening in the starting lineup, but if not, Johnson could potentially back up both forward positions and would give the Pels a ton of lineup flexibility to go big or small.
The Pelicans also lack 3-point shooting, especially off the bench, so if Johnson eventually gets more consistent in that area, he would be the perfect 3-and-D wing to add next to Zion Williamson.
If the Pelicans end up with the 10th pick, as they currently have, then it is probably 50/50 that Johnson will be there, as most mock drafts have him going in the top-ten.
The New Orleans Pelicans are very familiar with Duke University and could bring in another Dukie to add to their foundation if the lottery balls drop in their favor.