As Pelican fans continue to look at the 2020 NBA Draft, the focus of the franchise, as has been mentioned often, will likely be on shooting and wing depth. The Pelicans lacked in both of those areas, leading to the team giving extended minutes to players either out of position (Josh Hart) or players who likely should not be heavily featured (E’Twaun Moore).
As noted in earlier mock drafts, most projections see the Pelicans taking any number of 3&D options but that’s not the only area of need for the team moving forward.
Yahoo Sports’ latest mock draft has the Pelicans taking one of those wings in Aaron Nesmith of Vanderbilt, a sharp-shooter who battled injuries last season. Here is Raphielle Johnson’s take on New Orleans drafting Nesmith.
“The Pelicans don’t lack for perimeter talent, but given the team’s placement in this draft and the available talent it’s likely that David Griffin will be adding another to the mix. There are some who believe that Nesmith is the best shooter in this draft class, and he’d fit in will with a team that ranked in the top ten in 3-point attempts, makes and percentage. How much playing time would be available to Nesmith in this scenario largely depends upon what happens in free agency, as both Brandon Ingram and E’Twaun Moore will be unrestricted free agents.”
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, though, had the Pelicans going in a different route by selecting big Jalen Smith of Maryland in his latest mock draft.
“Smith is receiving interest from teams in the mid-first round, according to league sources. He makes far too much sense for the Pelicans; he’s a big who can space the floor with shooting off movement like screens and handoffs. The Pelicans will need a big like Smith next to an interior player like Zion Williamson. Smith needs to make strides on defense, but maybe an NBA program can help him become less stiff and more pliable.”
Last season, Smith averaged 15.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while still shooting 36.8% from range. As O’Connor notes, he would also fill a hole long-term for the Pelicans alongside Williamson. While Nicolo Melli filled that hole mostly this season as a spacing big man, he did it with very mixed results. Smith could provide potentially more stability moving forward and also would represent a player on the same timeline as much of the rest of the young core, which Melli is not.
The amount of draft picks the Pelicans have in the coming years affords them some wiggle room with their draft picks and allows them to potentially take a risk on a pick or take a home run swing. No matter what direction the Pelicans go with their lottery pick, the future is set up nicely for the franchise.
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