Pelicans: 5 players to target with the 17th pick in the NBA Draft
Pelicans draft picks: NBA Draft prospect, Chris Duarte
Early the the draft process, Duarte was viewed more as a 2nd-round prospect, but has since been moving up draft boards and is a guy I see mocked to the Pelicans a lot now.
One of the red flags with Duarte is his age, as the senior is already 24-years-old, so doesn’t have the ceiling of some of the other players they could take here.
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On the flip side, Duarte is probably as ready to contribute right now as just about anyone they could draft with 17, and what he contributes is something the Pelicans need.
Duarte shot 42.4 percent from 3-point range in his last season at Oregon and 53 percent overall, so he can knock down shots from all over the floor.
He has good size for the position as a 6-foot-6 shooting guard and he defends well, so has potential to be a solid 2-way player who can knock down 3-point shots.
If the Pelicans are looking for someone who is ready to play but might not have the highest ceiling, then Duarte is a good choice here.