In Sports Illustrated’s latest mock draft, the New Orleans Pelicans drafted a young wing who shows promise as a 3-and-D player in the pros.
SI’s Jeremy Woo projected the Pelicans to draft Florida State wing Devin Vassell with the No. 12 pick in the NBA Draft.
Vassell, listed at 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, was a key defender for the Seminoles and a player with catch-and-shoot ability, knocking down more than 41% of his 3s both of his two seasons at FSU.
Woo wrote:
Vassell’s blend of size and length on the wing, tangible defensive impact and shooting ability create a pretty substantial floor, while the fact he’s a young sophomore with some room to grow offensively lends some credence to the upside.
Vassell averaged 12.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season. He shot 49% on about 10 field goals per game, and 41.5% from beyond the arc.
He averaged 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.
Even if Vassell isn’t a starter, Woo writes, he projects to be a strong role player.
He does have some limitations athletically that could limit his upside as a scorer, but simply being a consistent spot-up player can go a long way. In theory, he’s the type of player who can add value anywhere, even if he doesn’t turn into a starting-caliber option.
With their three second round picks, the Pelicans took Kansas point guard Devon Dotson, Mississippi State wing Robert Woodard and Syracuse shooting guard Elijah Hughes.
Dotson helped lead Kansas to the No. 1 spot in AP’s poll by averaging 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting a hair above 54% from 2-point range.
Woodard averaged 11.4 points and 6.5 rebounds while adding 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. He shot 4.29% from beyond the arc.
Hughes, who started his career at East Carolina before transferring to Syracuse, averaged 19.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
