Pelicans NBA Draft 2021: 5 players New Orleans should avoid

Pelicans draft picks: NBA Draft prospects to avoid, Jalen Johnson

It’s unlikely that Johnson falls all the way to 17, as many believe he has lottery talent.

He is another big wing who is a good defender, rebounder and has shown he can knock down 3-point shots, which he did during his short time at Duke.

Johnson quit during his only season at Duke, so hasn’t played much in two years. I am not going to speculate why he quit or whether it was the right decision, as I support anyone’s right to make those choices, but it probably didn’t help his draft status.

Johnson may be very talented, but he also comes with some red flags. On the other hand, he was one of the top high school prospects in his class, a guy who could be a very good 3-and-D wing which is exactly what the Pelicans need.

I could talk myself into Johnson if he did fall to the Pelicans, but given some of the current distractions with their roster, I think they might avoid him.