Pelicans draft: Should the Pels go after an elite shooter?

There are a lot of players that can fall into the laps of the New Orleans Pelicans, who have the 8th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. AJ Griffin from Duke is one of the best at his position and is a guy the Pels will consider in the lottery.

Pelicans draft: AJ Griffin’s strengths

In his freshman year, AJ Griffin was able to put up 10 points and three rebounds per game on a Duke team that has several players projected to go in the first round of the draft.

Griffin is a 6-foot-6 forward who is thought to be one of the best shooters in the draft after shooting 49 percent from the field and 44.7 percent from 3-point range on over four attempts per game.

He’d be an obvious fit with the Pelicans as a guy who can spread the floor, knock down catch-and-shoot 3-pointers and affect the game on the defensive end with his 7-foot wingspan.

Griffin is able to create his own shots, and has been impressing scouts at the combine by showing he is more than just a spot-up shooter. He’s still just 18-years-old so has a high ceiling and plenty of room to improve.

2022 NBA Draft: AJ Griffin’s weaknesses:

Even though Griffin has good length on defense, he lacks explosive athleticism and there is some concern about whether he’ll be able to stay in front of quicker wings on the perimeter.

Another weakness for AJ Griffin is that he is not good at shedding screens to pop out for the open shot, which is something he’ll have to improve at the NBA level.

He’s not a very good rebounder for his size and is not much of a playmaker, so Griffin’s impact will mostly be with his shooting and length on defense.

The New Orleans Pelicans have a lot of options with the 8th pick, but a guy like Griffin not only offers an NBA-ready skill that fits their roster, but still has a ton of upside. Griffin is a guy the Pels should definitely take a hard look at in the 2022 NBA Draft.