New Orleans Pelicans: Whose ceiling is higher, NAW or Jaxson Hayes?

It’s far too early to judge the 2019 NBA Draft but it is already looking pretty good for the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Pelicans not only got Zion Williamson, one of the top young players in the game, but also snagged Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Didi Louzada, all guys who figure to have some role in the rotation.

Both NAW and Hayes have flashed big time potential at times, but have also been wildly inconsistent.

NAW will probably get a shot at the starting lineup next season, and Hayes should cement himself as the primary backup center and hopefully center of the future if the Pelicans don’t see Jonas Valanciunas as part of the long-term plans.

But which of these talented young players has the higher ceiling? It really depends.

New Orleans Pelicans: The case for Nickeil Alexander-Walker

NAW has already had some huge games for the Pelicans and has averaged more than 19 points per game as a starter.

He is a big combo guard who can defend multiple spots and has good athleticism which he uses to finish around the rim.

The only thing holding him back from being the Pelicans’ third scoring option is that he is still very inefficient as a scorer, especially from long range.

NAW needs to clean up his handles and get more consistent from 3-point range if he wants to take the next step as a player.

I think NAW has a high ceiling as a scoring guard, but the NBA has a lot of those already, so it will be difficult for him to ever make an All-Star team.

New Orleans Pelicans: The case for Jaxson Hayes

While I think NAW has a much higher chance to get there as a player, I do think Hayes has the higher ceiling if he can put it all together.

Hayes has shown otherworldly athleticism for his size, a guy who can jump out of the gym and block shots, but he is also severely lacking in basketball skills, gets lost on defense and often disappears for long stretches.

The X-factors for Hayes will be two things: Can he start hitting 3-point shots and can he become an elite shot blocker?

Hayes has a nice shooting stroke and has shown he can hit shots from long range, albeit on a very low number of attempts. If he can evolve into more of a stretch-four, he is going to be handful, as he is already very difficult to stop when he rolls to the hoop in the pick-and-roll.

If he can add a pick-and-pop shot to his arsenal, he is going to be unstoppable in the pick-and-roll with Zion Williamson and possibly even Kira Lewis Jr. down the line.

I think Hayes is far more of a long shot to ever reach his ceiling, as he has some maturity issues and needs to learn the game, especially defensively, but if he ever puts it all together he could be a tailor-made big for the modern NBA and will make a few All-Star teams as a center for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Hayes is primed to have a breakout season, but I could also see things going the other way, so even though he has the higher ceiling, I’d still bet on NAW to have the better career.