The New Orleans Pelicans will have five picks entering the 2021 NBA Draft and could use them a number of ways.
They currently have what would be the 10th pick (lottery pending) in the first round and the 36th, 40th, 42nd and 53rd picks in the second.
This is projected to be a deep draft, so the Pelicans may be able to find impact talent with a later lottery pick or even in the second round.
But what are their top priorities going into the draft? The first would be that they need at least one player who can play and has an NBA-ready skill.
The Pelicans already have plenty of young talent and prospects who are raw and developing, so it would be nice to emerge from this draft with a player who can contribute, even if that guy doesn’t come from the draft at all.
Here are the top three priorities for the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2021 NBA Draft.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pels should trade their draft pick
The New Orleans Pelicans are led by 20-year-old Zion Williamson and 23-year-old Brandon Ingram. They already have Kira Lewis Jr., Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as high ceiling young talent that needs more time.
Do they really need to add another rookie to this team? Obviously, if the right guy fell to the Pelicans at the 10th or 11th pick, they should take him, but if not, they should be looking to package that pick along with Eric Bledsoe’s contract for a player.
It’s too early to guess who that player might be, but if the Pels can use Bledsoe’s contract and their draft capital to get a better player, they should.
A guy like Malcolm Brogdon would be a realistic target in this scenario depending on whether the Pacers decide to blow it up.
Whoever it is, the Pelicans are a player or two short if they want to make the playoffs next season and they are unlikely to find a teenager with the 10th pick who is going to fill that need.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pels need defenders in the NBA Draft
Everyone is well aware that the Pelicans are terrible on defense, so if they end up using their pick, the Pels should target a player who has some upside on that end.
Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are the second-highest scoring duo in the NBA this season but neither of them are great defenders, so the Pels need to find a guy, preferably a wing, who can defend the position, hustle and do things other than score.
The Pelicans have plenty of scoring and will have even more as guys like NAW get better offensively, but right now their defense is too porous for it to matter.
If you look at the top of the NBA standings you will find all the top defensive teams. You have to be able to score, yes, but if you can’t stop anyone, then you are just the Kings or Pelicans over the last two seasons, high scoring teams that lose.
It looks like the Pelicans might have found one of them in Naji Marshall, who has played well enough to get a shot at a roster spot.
But they are far from done in that department, so if the Pelicans end up using some or all of their picks, they need to find some defenders, preferably on the wing.
A guy like Scottie Barnes might fit the mold, as he can defend and make plays, two things the Pelicans need.
New Orleans Pelicans: The Pels need shooters in the NBA Draft
After finishing 4th in 3-point percentage last season, the New Orleans Pelicans have dropped to 26th in the NBA.
Not only are they not making enough of them, they are not taking enough to keep teams honest on defense.
Zion Williamson is so good that it hasn’t mattered, as he will just go through the whole team on his way to the rim, but if the Pelicans had some more shooting, this might not be as necessary.
I am not one of the “spacing” truthers who thinks that all of the Pelicans’ problems fall on Steven Adams or David Griffin for not getting a center who can shoot 3-pointers (there are like 3 of them in the league by the way).
The problem is that the Pelicans haven’t gotten consistent 3-point shooting out of their guards or wings. Lonzo Ball has monster games only to follow them up with 0’fers, Bledsoe has been inconsistent, which leaves just Brandon Ingram who can consistently hit a shot from long range.
It would be great if the Pelicans could get two of their needs in one player by trading for a 3-and-D wing but if not, they should just grab as many as they can in the NBA Draft and see if one of them sticks.
The New Orleans Pelicans need defense and shooting, and they can get it by trading their picks or finding value in the NBA Draft.