Pelicans Draft: 3 prospects that would be perfect fits with Zion Williamson
The New Orleans Pelicans have been up and down all season even though Zion Williamson has been spectacular.
They are still only two games back of the final play-in spot and still have three more games against the Warriors, so even though the Pels have a losing record and are facing myriad injuries, they are somehow still in the running for the playoffs.
One thing each player has to prove in the remainder of the season. light. Related Story
It’s more likely that they’ll end up in the lottery again, so it’s never too early too think about who they might select with their first-round pick.
The Pelicans will enter the draft with one goal in mind, which is to find players who complement Zion Williamson, as he is their superstar and the guy they will build around for the foreseeable future.
We’ve talked about the types of players that would be good fits with Zion Williamson and there are a lot of guys in this year’s draft who fit the profile.
Here are three players in the 2021 NBA Draft that have the complementary skills to play with Zion Williamson.
Possible New Orleans Pelicans draft picks: Corey Kispert
Yesterday I wrote that the Pelicans need to find a player or two in this draft that already has an elite NBA-ready skill.
The Pelicans already have three guys with nebulous “high ceiling” talent who do not yet have defined roles in Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kira Lewis Jr. so it would be nice if they could get a guy at the back end of the lottery who has a skill to build around and an immediate role with the team.
Corey Kispert is one of those guys.
Kispert is already 22-years-old and has an elite NBA skill that will immediately translate. He is a lights-out shooter from behind the arc, hitting 44 percent on high volume and he is a super efficient scorer in general, especially for a guy who mostly shoots jumpers.
He is not a liability on defense and could immediately upgrade the Pels’ 3-point shooting, which has taken a big dip this season.
They especially need scoring off the bench and Kispert could provide it. His floor spacing and ability to draw defenses away from the hoop would be a nice complement to Zion Williamson and would make all the “spacing” truthers happy for once.