Pelicans draft: New Orleans could look to the G-League in 1st round

The New Orleans Pelicans have a high probability of getting the Lakers’ top-10 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

There is only about a .04 chance that it doesn’t convey, so odds are with the Pelicans, who are hoping they get lucky again and land the #1 pick.

But even if they don’t, there are plenty of interesting prospects in the range they are likely to pick, as the Pelicans have a 66.6 percent chance of ending up with the 8th or 9th selection.

There aren’t as many standouts in the G-League as there were last draft, but there is one guy projected in the Pels’ range who could make some sense for them.

Pelicans draft: Dyson Daniels’ strengths and weaknesses

Australian prospect Dyson Daniels decided not to go to the NBL but chose the G-League instead, playing for the Ignite, which have produced the best G-League prospects over the last couple of seasons.

Daniels is a long, 6-foot-6 shooting guard who can create off the bounce and get to the rim. He’s not a very good shooter, but can score in a variety of ways, is a good rebounder for the position and is good at setting up teammates off the bounce.

He averaged 11.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game for the Ignite this season. He’s a guy who is good at using his length to disrupt passing lanes and get steals, so he would fit right in with the defensive-minded wings the Pels have been collecting.

He’s definitely not the shooter that Trey Murphy III is, but has a better all-around offensive game and offers the same kind of elite size for the two-guard/wing position.

His biggest weakness is his outside shot, as he hit just 25 percent of his 3-point attempts this season on 3.6 attempts per game, but his ability to create and play defense should eventually get him into an NBA rotation.

2022 NBA Draft: How Dyson Daniels fits on the Pelicans

The Pels are a largely position-less team full of guys who can defend multiple spots. Daniels fits that mold, and would give the Pels another rangy defender that would give them a multitude of lineup possibilities.

The Pelicans need more size and talent at guard, as they have a slight guard problem with three small guys who aren’t likely to all get minutes next season.

By adding more guards/wings with size, it will allow the Pelicans to use guys like Jose Alvarado and Kira Lewis Jr. without worrying about mismatches.

Dyson would not help the Pelicans’ need for shooting, but he’d be a solid playmaker off the bench who can run the floor and defend a couple of spots.

The Pelicans are building their identity around versatility and defense, so adding another long wing who can get steals makes sense.

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