Gee Balance/The Who Dat Daily.com

New Orleans Pelicans Contributor

New Orleans, LA- The New Orleans Pelicans have been in the national spot light for all the wrong reasons last season but that has changed recently. Newly hired VP of Basketball Operations David Griffin as well as GM Trajan Langdon have helped moved the Pel’s into respectability again. The Brass implemented a series of shrewd moves to revamp the teams roster in an attempt to make the unit playoff bound this year.

The key move was sending disgruntled superstar Anthony Davis out to Los Angeles while receiving a treasure trove of draft capital and young assets. The NBA Draft was no different as the Pelicans traded the 4th overall pick received for AD and flipped it into a deal to remove Solomon Hills $12.7 million dollar contract off the books. The Pels received multiple 1st round in picks this year and into the future. New Orleans basically added key pieces that can help the team build a young core around basketball phenom Zion Williamson.

Below are the Pelicans 2019 NBA Draft picks plus breakdowns provided by CBS Sports:

1st overall pick: Zion Williamson (F) 6-7 285 lbs Duke averaged 22 ppg 9 rebs in 33 games. VP David Griffin came out and said after the draft that Williamson isn’t the savior of the team. I disagree with him Zion is now the face of the franchise and will be called upon to lead the team into the playoffs consistently.

Strengths: Explosive athlete; competitive; strong; can finish through contact; versatile and switchy defender high IQ cutter without the ball on offense; plays with great anticipation, frequently jumping passing lanes defensively; never gives up on plays, often scrapping for loose balls and hustling for chasedown block opportunities

Weakness: Shotmechanics still a work in progress, including off the dribble; predictable finisher and attacker, almost exclusively with left hand

8th overall pick: Jaxson Hayes (C) 6-11 225 lbs Texas averaged 10 ppg 5 rebs in 32 games. Hayes gives New Orleans a defensive minded big who can run the floor, shot block and rebound.

Strengths: Elite athlete with pogo sticks for legs; good rim-runner who finishes well; instinctive shot-blocker

Weakness: Very raw on both ends, lacking feel; average rebounder; sometimes lacks physicality needed from NBA center; not a shot creator; shaky jump shot and post play

17th overall pick: Nickeil Alexander Walker (G) 6-6 205 lbs Virginia Tech 16.2 ppg 4 rebs in 67 games. Alexander Walker is a 38% three point shooter and who is a respectable defender with good size. He brings a good three point touch to New Orleans to help Williamson, Holiday and others in Gentry’s wipe open system.

Strengths:  Excellent spot-up shooter; developing ball-handler capable of running an offense as lead guard; versatile to play either guard spot; fluid athlete who plays a smooth game; long, wiry frame could allow him to guard all three guard spots; comfortable using either hand as a dribbler and finisher

Weakness: Needs to improve as a scorer off the dribble and off screens; improving passer in transition and off the dribble, but an area that could use development

35th overall pick: Marcos Louzada Silva (G) 6-6 190 lbs Brazil averages 11.5 ppg in 38 games while shooting a blistering 47% from the three point line. The idea here is to develop Silva into a 3 and D player but they can stash him overseas until the time is right.

Strengths: Good 3-point shooter; ideal size for an NBA wing; smart player off the ball; athletic above-rim finisher; runs floor hard

Weakness: Skinny; needs to add muscle to his frame; not a good finisher in traffic; sometimes a ball-stopper on offense

The Pelicans have addressed some serious concerns on the team including 3pt shooting, size, athleticism and have raised the overall talent of the unit. I give the Pelicans an A plus for not only getting the next superstar in Zion Williamson but clearing up cap space by off loading the ugly contract of Solomon Hill. If the Pelicans NBA Draft was any indication of how the team will operate were in for a very entertaining free agency.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrRjzTUA6Ms