The New Orleans Pelican has one of the more shocking drafts of all 30 teams and signed an undrafted rookie who is not expected to be highly unpopular.
In the first round of the NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelican traded their 23rd and unprotected picks with the Atlanta Hawks on their 13th pick.
This was Joe Dumars’ first major move as head of the new tenure basketball business, and it was inexplicable. The Pelicans are not expected to be good at all next season, so they have given up on lottery picks next year for the queen who is expected to be solid, but not elite.
New Orleans also signed a two-way contract to college standout Hunter Dickinson after the draft, fearing Jeremiah’s seventh overall and 40th overall.
Dickinson averaged 17.4 points and 9.2 rebounds in five seasons split between Michigan and Kansas, but he was one of the nation’s least popular players.
In front court rotation, the Pelicans currently have Zion Williamson, Queen, Jeremiah Robinson Earl, Eves Missi, Carlomatokovic and Dickinson. Williamson is unreliable, and Missi and Queen are not proven. Like JJ Reddick, Grayson Allen and Christian Lettner, Dickinson was an elite in college and gained enough hatred despite not playing for Duke.
However, he is not expected to translate very well into the NBA.
On the court, he is a solid interior scorer who can put a little space on the floor, but he is not a deep sniper. He gives the Pelican a clear identity between Williamson and Queen, and he doesn’t mind the physicality that puts down a solid rebounder low.
So far, it’s been very good, but the criticism surrounding his game is very effective. He is often an inadvertent and inactive defender, checking out from the attack and not mobile.
From the court, fans, especially Michigan fans, have pointed out that he struggled to compete in better college and didn’t seem interested in checking out mentally, running screens or doing more out of the ball.
“I don’t think they were that good in Michigan,” Dickinson said after moving from Michigan to Kansas. “They were lovely people, but not very good. I feel like Michigan is like a Midwest fake. Kansas is actually a Midwest town.”
Of course, it drew even more anger from Ann Arbor.
Between Misi and Queen, already younger than Dickinson, 24, New Orleans already has a rather clear center rotation. Despite his flaws, the Pelicans are not taking a major risk on him as Dickinson is only signed to a two-way contract.
His size, physicality and postplay allowed him to dominate five NCAA seasons, but his slower, less refined footwork and ball handling limit him in the NBA.
However, he could be a very good G League player. Outstanding G-League big like Leonard Miller, Moses Brown and Paul Reid have found that the NBA’s success is very limited, but they can dominate the more limited competition. Dickinson is on the same boat.
If he controls the G League, the Pelicans may continue to invest his minutes and resources in him, but it is unlikely that he will fall into NBA success. Certainly, as a super senior, he can sometimes offer New Orleans minutes, and without a pick in the first round next year, they need all the winning talent they can get, and Dickinson’s salvation grace is his seniority and physicality.