Pelicans believe Didi Louzada is ahead of the curve in his development

Pelicans vice president David Griffin says Didi Louzada has the potential to be a 3-and-D defensive stopper.

After playing one season in the National Basketball League, the New Orleans Pelicans believe Didi Louzada has the tools to develop into a 3-and-D player in the future.

Louzada, the 35th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, took advantage of the “Next Stars” initiative, a plan introduced by the NBL to give the top prospects a way to play professionally. Louzada played with the Sydney Kings this season, where he averaged 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 assist in 20 games played.

The time overseas allowed Louzada do develop his game. He previously played with Franca Basquetbol Club of the NBB, the top basketball league in Brazil, and has shown to have potential as a 3-and-D player that can shoot and defend multiple positions. He has the length and athleticism to defend but will need to bulk up to compete at the NBA level.

The Pelicans, with plenty of depth ahead of Louzada, believed they could afford to allow Louzada to develop in the NBL as a draft and stash player. In a Q&A on Twitter, Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said he believes Louzada landed in a good situation since the Kings’ head coach, Will Weaver, worked previously with Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon.

“Because they had a level of trust in one another, we were able to get Didi really far ahead of the curve in his development,” Griffin said. “We knew unequivocally Will and his staff were going to do a phenomenal job and do the kind of job hat Trajan himself would want done if Will was coaching in our building. It was a really positive thing for us that Sydney was the team Didi ended up with.

“His development on a very veteran team that had the best record in their league the vast majority of the season as a starter, a defensive stopper is exactly what we would have wanted. Fortunately, when I was there most recently, I got to see him be the best player on the court in the fourth-quarter run on both sides of the floor. The future is very bright there for us with a potential 3-and-D defensive stopper who can guard multiple positions.”

Louzada projects to have an opportunity to join the Pelicans next season and continue his development within the organization either in the NBA or the G League.

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