The New Orleans Pelicans have four picks in the second round of the upcoming NBA Draft and could try to use one or more of them to take a high-ceiling but raw prospect.
The second round is the place to take chances, as most of the players don’t make it anyway, so you might as well go for guys with potential that might need development in the G-League or overseas.
This year’s NBA Draft has a number of these players and the Pelicans might actually be able to find some talent with their four picks.
One guy who is a complete mystery is Makur Maker, who is the cousin of NBA player Thon Maker, who was also considered a high ceiling mystery in the NBA Draft.
New Orleans Pelicans NBA Draft: What to make of Makur Maker
I can’t remember a prospect who was harder to gauge than Makur Maker, who was once considered a five-star prospect and one of the best high school centers in the country.
He was recruited by all of the NCAA heavyweights but chose to go to HBCU Howard, which I thought was a pretty cool move, as he was trying to show that not every top player has to go to Kentucky or Duke.
It didn’t really work out for him, as he got injured after only playing two games for Howard, but now here he is in the NBA Draft anyway.
He’s going to draw comparisons to recent draft pick Bol Bol for a number of reasons, namely that they are both tall guys with connections to Sudan, but their games aren’t too dissimilar and they project to have the same types of strengths.
Maker’s sample size is small but he does potentially have some of the strengths the New Orleans Pelicans could use.
New Orleans Pelicans draft picks: NBA Draft prospect Makur Maker
There’s not a whole lot to go on here, as Makur only played two collegiate games before injuring his groin.
He’s a 7-footer, who like his cousin, has put together high school mix tapes that will make scouts salivate, as he has guard-like skills with the ball and is a guy who doesn’t move like a traditional center.
He prefers to play on the perimeter and has the handles to initiate the offense at times. He has shown some flashes of being able to hit 3-point shots, so will likely be more of a stretch-four type if he can make the NBA.
He’s not a great shot blocker, especially considering his size and he settles way too much for jumpers, which might not translate to the NBA unless he can develop 3-point range.
What’s intriguing about Maker is that he was ranked among the best prospects in his draft class but really just dropped due to lack of play and exposure. He is still that guy and may end up being a steal if he drops to the late second round where he is projected to go.
Some team is definitely going to take a flyer on his potential to be a dynamic big man for the modern game, but would he fit on the New Orleans Pelicans?
New Orleans Pelicans draft picks: NBA Draft prospect Makur Maker
On paper, a guy like Maker is a good fit with Zion Williamson, as he could potentially space the floor on one end and protect the rim on the other, two things the Pelicans need.
Maker is still very raw, so he is not likely to make an NBA roster right away, so the Pelicans could choose to put him in the G-League or let him play overseas in Australia as they did with Didi Louzada.
It’s not like they expect a second round pick to come in and make a big impact, so this would be a pick with the future in mind, as it might be a season or two before he is ready, if that happens at all.
But having an athletic 7-footer who can make plays next to Zion does have some appeal, and the New Orleans Pelicans could take a chance on one using an asset that isn’t all that valuable anyway.
The New Orleans Pelicans aren’t likely to use all of their second round picks in the NBA Draft, but if they do, I wouldn’t mind if they took a risk on a high-ceiling guy who offers a unique skill set.