Last week, Pelicans.com listed a handful of players whose names have been projected by draft sites to potentially land at the 40th pick, New Orleans’ lone selection in Thursday’s 2017 NBA Draft (6:30 p.m. Central, ESPN). Those prospects included Xavier guard Edmund Sumner, Gonzaga guard Nigel Williams-Goss, Valparaiso forward Alec Peters, California forward/center Ivan Rabb, Oklahoma State guard Jawun Evans and Syracuse forward Tyler Lydon.
On the eve of the draft, one final glimpse at other players who’ve been tabbed by independent sites as possibilities for the Pelicans with their second-round pick:
Wesley Iwundu, guard/forward, Kansas State
SI.com’s choice at No. 40, Iwundu is described by writer Jeremy Woo as a good fit for New Orleans. “Iwundu makes sense for the Pelicans as a complementary playmaker and defender,” he wrote. “You can never have enough versatile wing players these days.”
Semi Ojeleye, forward, SMU
ESPN.com projects the junior to go to the Pelicans. Chad Ford’s evaluation includes positives of “strong, physical forward, NBA body, good shooter with range,” along with negatives “a tweener, old for his class, poor defensive metrics.”
Tyler Dorsey, guard, Oregon
In his prediction of Dorsey as the 40th pick, CBSSports.com writer Reid Forgrave posts, “The Pelicans traded away Buddy Hield, but Dorsey, who tore it up in the NCAA tournament with a 78 percent true shooting percentage, could give this team the offensive firepower it needs in the backcourt.”
Josh Hart, guard, Villanova
DraftExpress.com lists Hart as New Orleans’ pick. The site analyzes the four-year college player by writing, “Improving steadily over the last few years, there’s room for optimism about Hart at the next level. He may not have tremendous upside, but his maturity and strong base of fundamentals on both ends should be enough to secure him a guaranteed NBA roster spot and show that his game can translate to the next level.” NBA.com and CBSSports.com’s Gary Parrish also project Hart to go at 40.
P.J. Dozier, guard, South Carolina
NBADraft.net tabs the combo guard at No. 40. “A Final Four run that came out of nowhere really helped enhance Dozier's stock as he averaged 16 points and five boards a game for the Gamecocks,” the site wrote. “Has the build of a prototypical off guard at the next level but still maintains the playmaking ability of a PG, especially in the open court.”
Jonah Bolden, forward, UCLA
A native of Australia, Bolden is MyNBADraft.com’s projected 40 pick. NBADraft.net describes him as a “Versatile player, who – under the right conditions – can be play in all front court positions. Great size and length for a power forward.”