While much of the focus on the prospects for the Pelicans’ upcoming 2020 NBA Draft lottery pick has been wing and 3&D players, that isn’t the only route the team could go. Realistically, the only position the Pelicans don’t need help is at the point guard spot.
As a result, there’s any number of ways the team can go with the pick. It should allow them to select the best player available when their pick arises. In NBC Sports’ mock draft, the Pelicans took that approach, selecting forward Jalen Smith from Maryland.
“Has a lot of building blocks you’ll find in the modern-day NBA big man who can defend, rebound and shoot from the perimeter. His long-range shooting numbers look good, although the sample size is small. His two-way potential makes him a solid pick at this point in the draft.”
This isn’t the first time Smith has been mocked to the Pelicans as The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor also had the same pick. As noted then, Smith is a big man that would complement Zion Williamson well with his spacing ability. In many ways, he could replace the production the Pelicans got from Nicolo Melli last season, though Melli is under contract for the 2020-21 campaign.
What Smith has that nearly every prospect projected to the Pelicans is an ability to stretch the floor, which will be paramount moving forward for New Orleans as they build a team around Brandon Ingram and Williamson.
