Jim Eichenhofer

The New Orleans roster already has a distinct Duke University flavor, with two of its frontcourt starters (Brandon Ingram at small forward, Zion Williamson at power forward) hailing from the Durham, N.C., institution. Based entirely on recent updates to national mock drafts, a couple websites are projecting the Pelicans to add another Blue Devils product (center Dereck Lively). Two weeks have passed since the mid-May draft lottery, causing analysts to shift some of their projections, partly due to workouts, the combine in Chicago and the pre-draft rumor mill. Here’s a look at what sites are now projecting New Orleans to do with the No. 14 pick, including a handful of changes since May 16. All opinions and quoted comments are from the respective media entities and do not reflect those of the Pelicans organization:

BLEACHER REPORTNick Smith Jr., guard, Arkansas (previously No. 13 to Toronto)“The Pelicans need all the shot-makers they can get around Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Smith can be a bit streaky, but when he has it rolling, he’s a scoring threat from everywhere with enough handles and quickness to create his own scoring chances.”12-13: Jordan Hawkins, Keyonte George15-16: Cason Wallace, Bilal CoulibalyPrevious update: Jett Howard, guard/forward, Michigan (now No. 20 to Houston)

ESPN.COMDereck Lively, center, Duke (previously No. 25 to Memphis)“The dearth of big men in this class gives him the ability to be a riser on draft night, especially as teams consider the fact that he was the No. 1 recruit in his high school class entering the season. He seems to have plenty of upside left to tap into as his frame continues to fill out.”12-13: Nick Smith Jr., Jordan Hawkins15-16: Keyonte George, Kobe BufkinPrevious update: Keyonte George, guard, Baylor (now No. 15 to Atlanta)

NBA DRAFT ROOMDereck Lively, center, Duke“Protects the rim and is a game changer on the defensive end. Is having a very strong draft season and moving back up draft boards.”12-13: Gradey Dick, Cason Wallace15-16: GG Jackson, Bilal CoulibalyPrevious update: Keyonte George, guard, Baylor (now No. 11 to Orlando)

USA TODAYLeonard Miller, forward, G League Ignite (previously No. 20 to Houston)“He became a walking double-double with the Ignite in February, recording seven in the month (in eight games), and he should be able to bring that production to the NBA. We are a bit higher on Miller than most at this point of the process and believe his stock will continue to rise.”12-13: Keyonte George, Nick Smith Jr.15-16: Kobe Bufkin, Jordan HawkinsPrevious update: Jordan Hawkins, guard, Connecticut (now No. 16 to Utah)

THE ATHLETIC: Kobe Bufkin, guard, Michigan

FOR THE WIN: Kobe Bufkin, guard, Michigan

NBA.COM CONSENSUS: Nick Smith Jr., guard, Arkansas

NEW YORK POST: Jordan Hawkins, guard, Connecticut

THE RINGER: Nick Smith Jr., guard, Arkansas

SB NATION: Brice Sensabaugh, guard, Ohio State

SPORTING NEWS: Jordan Hawkins, guard, Connecticut

YAHOO!: Jalen Hood-Schifino, guard, Indiana

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Duke center, Michigan guard among projections for New Orleans at No. 14 pick

One of the most anticipated NBA drafts in recent years will take place Thursday, June 22, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. ESPN will again have live coverage of the draft, with ABC televising Round 1 only. Fans can also tune in to NBA TV for comprehensive breakdowns and recaps of the draft. Not very familiar with this year’s draft? Perhaps you’ve been more focused on the present of the league (the 2023 NBA Finals) instead of the future? An overview of the 2023 draft, featuring frequently-asked questions:

How strong is this year’s draft compared to most years?

With few exceptions, analysts are calling 2023 a talent-rich class, while saying that 2024 is expected to be a down year. Of course, things can often change drastically over the span of 12 months. There have been several recent drafts for which optimism or pessimism proved to be at least partly incorrect. Over the past decade, perhaps the most accurate draft forecast came in 2013, which was given a significant thumbs-down (New Orleans traded out of that lottery to acquire Jrue Holiday). Ten years later, only six of the top 10 selections from ’13 spent this entire season on an NBA roster (though 10th pick CJ McCollum and 13th choice Giannis Antetokounmpo have been highly productive lottery selections).

What draft picks do the Pelicans have this year? What about in 2024?

New Orleans only holds the No. 14 overall pick on June 22, the final selection of the lottery, after going 42-40 (the best record for any non-playoff team). The team’s second-round pick this year conveyed to Atlanta, part of a 2019 draft-night trade. In 2024, the Pelicans will own their first-round pick and have up to three selections in Round 1. They have the option to take the Lakers’ first-round pick in either 2024 or 2025, as well as holding ’24 swap rights with Milwaukee. New Orleans will have control of the Bucks’ first-rounder for four consecutive summers through ’27, with the pick going outright to the Pelicans in odd-numbered years.

Who are some of the most notable No. 14 overall picks in recent years?

The most productive NBA players taken 14th overall since 2010 have been Michael Porter Jr. (2018), Bam Adebayo (2017) and Marcus Morris Sr. (2011). Last year’s No. 14, guard Ochai Agbaji, was initially drafted by Cleveland, but then dealt to Utah in the Donovan Mitchell trade. As a rookie, Agbaji played in 59 games (22 starts), averaging 7.9 points.

How do draft experts see the “tiers” among the top prospects?

There is zero debate about the first pick, with only slightly less argument – at least at this early stage of pre-draft analysis – that the second tier only includes two players who are expected to go 2-3. After that, there seems to be a general consensus that “Tier 3” consists of the Thompson twins, the University of Houston’s Jarace Walker and Villanova’s Cam Whitmore. Based on a recent informal sampling of prominent mock drafts, there is agreement that a total of 10 players will not last beyond the top 11 picks. That prospect group includes Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson, Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Walker, Whitmore, Anthony Black, Taylor Hendricks and Gradey Dick.

What’s the strongest position in this year’s draft class?

Based on ESPN.com’s post-lottery best prospects available list, this is an excellent year for a team seeking backcourt help. Among the top 18 players in ESPN’s rankings, 12 are listed as a point guard or a shooting guard, including all nine prospects from 10-18. In a trend that’s increasingly replicated across NBA rosters, centers are scarce. Only three of ESPN’s top 44 draft prospects are centers (Wembanyama, James Nnaji, Dereck Lively).

How will trades affect the lottery portion of the first round?

Difficult to project, but the presence of seemingly win-now teams such as Portland (No. 3 pick, reached playoffs eight straight times through 2021) and Dallas (No. 10, reached Western Conference finals in 2022) could result in more movement than usual. Another unique aspect of the top 14 this year is that Orlando holds two lottery picks (No. 6 and 11), giving the Magic enviable flexibility. There are six other teams owning multiple first-round picks aside from Orlando, including Indiana (No. 7, 26, 29), Utah (No. 9, 16, 28), Houston (No. 4, 20), Brooklyn (No. 21, 22), Portland (No. 3, 23) and Charlotte (No. 2, 27).

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Five-minute guide to 2023 NBA Draft: Frequently-asked questions

The NBA’s 2023 offseason became much more tangible Tuesday, when the league held its annual draft lottery in Chicago, accelerating discussion about the short-term future of numerous franchises. To the chagrin of the rest of the Southwest Division, San Antonio rode 14.0 percent odds to prevail in the lottery, claiming the No. 1 pick. New Orleans remained at No. 14, meaning the Pelicans will be on the board behind a total of three Southwest teams (Houston will select fourth; Dallas owns the 10th pick), a rare development. As is always the case on the day after the lottery, various websites posted their instant-reaction mock drafts, now that the order of picks 1-14 has been determined. Here’s a look at what those sites are projecting for New Orleans to do at pick No. 14, along with the players in the same range on the board (Oklahoma City and Toronto have the 12th and 13th picks, respectively; Atlanta and Utah are 15th and 16th, respectively). All opinions and quoted comments below are via the media entities and do not reflect those of the Pelicans organization:

THE ATHLETICKobe Bufkin, guard, Michigan“The Pelicans&nbsp;could certainly use more young backcourt depth. They took Dyson Daniels last year. Bufkin profiles really well next to CJ McCollum&nbsp;and Daniels long term as a solid defender who mixes scoring and passing at a solid level.”12-13: Leonard Miller, Cason Wallace15-16: Nick Smith Jr., Kris Murray

BLEACHER REPORTJett Howard, guard/forward, Michigan“Look for the Pelicans to explore trading out of No. 14, given their surplus of guards, wings and forwards and their win-now mentality. This is a best-player-available spot on the board, and Howard figures to be appealing for almost everyone with his coveted mix of 6'8" size and shooting versatility.”12-13: Cason Wallace, Nick Smith Jr.15-16: Kobe Bufkin, Dariq Whitehead

CBS SPORTSKris Murray, forward, Iowa“Murray had a breakout season for Iowa averaging north of 20 points per game while showing off range as a 3-point shooter. He's a combo forward who brings versatility, polish and size, all assets for a team looking to surround Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram with weapons.”12-13: Jordan Hawkins, Keyonte George15-16: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Kobe Bufkin

ESPN.COMKeyonte George, guard, Baylor“The Pelicans’ offense looked pretty stagnant in the absence of Zion Williamson, and adding another creator to the backcourt could be attractive. George is one of the most prolific shooters in this class and also brings significant scoring power with his shot creation and passing ability.”12-13: Cason Wallace, Nick Smith Jr.15-16: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Noah Clowney

FOR THE WINKobe Bufkin, guard, Michigan“All-Big Ten guard was highly impactful for his team, averaging 14.0 points and 4.5 rebounds with 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Michigan outscored opponents by 9.9 points per 100 possessions when Bufkin was on the floor, per Pivot Analysis.”12-13: Brice Sensabaugh, Keyonte George15-16: Leonard Miller, Jordan Hawkins

NBA.COM CONSENSUSNick Smith Jr., guard, Arkansas“Smith is an undersized off guard, but has the ability to score in a variety of ways, whether knocking down 3s or hitting mid-range floaters or runners.”12-13: Keyonte George, Jordan Hawkins15-16: NA

NBA DRAFT ROOMKeyonte George, guard, Baylor“An explosive guard with broad shoulders, the ability to finish through contact and high-level three-point ability. Didn’t have the most efficient season and will need to shoot the ball better.”12-13: Gregory Jackson, Cason Wallace15-16: Jalen Hood-Schifino, Rayan Rupert

NBC SPORTSKobe Bufkin, guard, Michigan“Finding natural point guards who possess first-round talent is becoming more rare as NBA drafts pass by. Bufkin, however, has the full package to run an offense and be a scoring threat in every corner of the court.”12-13: Nick Smith Jr., Keyonte George15-16: Dariq Whitehead, Jett Howard

NEW YORK POSTJordan Hawkins, guard, Connecticut“There are playmaking limitations here, and he doesn’t project as a plus defender, but Hawkins is one of the top shooters in this draft and has quality size for his position. Pressure won’t faze him. Just look at how well he performed under the microscope at UConn, where he went from a role player as a freshman to star as a sophomore.”12-13: Dariq Whitehead, Brice Sensabaugh15-16: NA

THE RINGERNick Smith Jr., guard, Arkansas“Smith is streaky, but many scouts project that he’ll become a reliable shooter. At this stage, he’s more of a microwave scorer type. Either way, the Pelicans could use more of a spark in the half court, and Smith is worth a gamble.”12-13: Leonard Miller, Kobe Bufkin15-16: Bilal Coulibaly, Keyonte George

SB NATIONBrice Sensabaugh, guard, Ohio State“A strong 6-6, 230-pound wing, the Ohio State freshman is the master of the midrange while also being an excellent three-point shooter. Sensabaugh has drawn comparisons to modern-day DeMar DeRozan for his ability to get to his spots and hit pull-up jumpers from the elbows.”12-13: Keyonte George, Dariq Whitehead15-16: Jett Howard, Nick Smith Jr.

SPORTING NEWSJordan Hawkins, guard, Connecticut“When fully healthy, the Pelicans have a young roster that should contend for an NBA championship. One of their only needs would be more perimeter shooting around franchise cornerstone Zion Williamson — and Hawkins would be that guy. Simply put, Hawkins has a flamethrower."12-13: Taylor Hendricks, Jordan Hood-Schifino15-16: Jett Howard, GG Jackson

USA TODAYJordan Hawkins, guard, Connecticut“Hawkins thrives behind the 3-point line: He can catch and shoot or pull up off the dribble. And he’s always moving off the ball to create a shot for himself.”12-13: Nick Smith Jr., Keyonte George15-16: Kobe Bufkin, Dereck Lively

YAHOO!Jalen Hood-Schifino, guard, Indiana“A strong guard with great feel who extended his game past the 3-point line and improved his read off the screen. He plays bigger than his size (6-6, 215) and has a quicker first step off the dribble than what meets the eye.”12-13: Jordan Hawkins, Nick Smith Jr.15-16: Cason Wallace, Kobe Bufkin

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Big Ten guards common in mock-draft projections for Pelicans' No. 14 pick

With the best regular season record among the 14 teams that participated in Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery, the New Orleans Pelicans faced extremely long odds to win the drawing (0.5 percent) or even claim a top-four pick (2.4 percent). As a result, it came as little surprise that the Pelicans did not move up from their pre-lottery slot during Tuesday’s event, based on the 97.6 likelihood of that being the case. New Orleans will have the No. 14 overall pick during the June 22 draft, the final selection of the lottery portion of Round 1.

New Orleans has selected in the latter half of the lottery several times in recent years, including obtaining Dyson Daniels (2022) and Jaxson Hayes (2019) via the No. 8 pick, as well as choosing Kira Lewis Jr. at No. 13 overall in 2020. The Pelicans entered the 2021 draft with the No. 10 pick, but traded down to No. 17 in a deal with Memphis, then tabbed Trey Murphy.

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No surprise, Pelicans claim 14th pick at draft lottery

Over the past dozen years, New Orleans has twice benefited from unlikely victories at the annual NBA Draft Lottery, prevailing in 2012 despite just a 1-in-7 chance, then winning seven years later against roughly 1-in-13 odds. Those slim odds were nothing compared to what the Pelicans face in the 2023 lottery, however. Having gone 42-40 and been a playoff contender prior to being eliminated from the Western Conference play-in tournament, New Orleans sports the best record of any lottery participant this time, meaning it enters Tuesday’s drawing (ESPN, 7 p.m. Central) holding the No. 14 “pre-lottery slot.” As a result, the Pelicans have only a 1-in-200 chance of moving to the top of the June 22 draft by claiming the No. 1 pick (that translates to 0.5 percent odds).

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A look at the New Orleans Pelicans 2023 NBA Draft Lottery odds

It’s a bit more realistic – though still an extreme longshot – for New Orleans to secure a top-four pick in Tuesday’s lottery. By comparison, a move into the top four in 2023 is even more unlikely than winning the aforementioned lotteries that resulted in Anthony Davis (2012) and Zion Williamson (2019) coming to the Crescent City. The Pelicans have a 2.4 percent chance of picking either first, second, third or fourth, which equates to 1-in-44 odds. Here's the breakdown of odds for each possible spot in the draft for New Orleans at Tuesday’s lottery:

Detroit, Houston and San Antonio share the best odds of winning the lottery, having finished 2022-23 with the league’s three worst records. Charlotte and Portland enter the event with the No. 4 and No. 5 pre-lottery slots. Here is the order in list form of the entire lottery field, with the percentage chance for each team winning the drawing:

No. 10 Dallas (3.0) … this pick is top-10 protected (79.8 percent odds)

No. 11 Chicago (1.8) … this pick is top-4 protected (8.5 percent odds)

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Pelicans have 0.5 percent chance at No. 1 pick, with 2.4 percent odds at top-4 selection

A promising New Orleans team took over first place in the Western Conference nearly halfway through the 82-game schedule, but ended up finishing in ninth. A youthful Pelicans club had six different players score 35-plus points in a victory, but by the end of the campaign, only four of those contributors were available during Wednesday’s play-in tournament loss vs. Oklahoma City. When Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin described the franchise’s 2022-23 experience as “a story of two seasons” on Friday, there were plenty of examples to cite.

There was the Pelicans squad that boasted a 23-12 record after a Dec. 30 win over Philadelphia, but it also went just 19-28 from there, with injuries factoring prominently in that dichotomy. Early in the season, New Orleans (42-40) overcame every bit of adversity, including winning seven of the first nine games All-Star forward Zion Williamson missed, but eventually his absence – as well as that of 2020 All-Star forward Brandon Ingram – greatly impacted the Pelicans in the standings. A 10-game losing streak in January/February pushed New Orleans from nine games over .500 to a fight with the break-even mark for the rest of the season. Not long after Ingram returned to the lineup in late January from injury, the Pelicans started missing other key pieces, forcing second-year head coach Willie Green to constantly shuffle lineups. Despite those less than ideal circumstances, New Orleans went 9-3 in its final 12 regular season games, earning a West play-in spot.

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David Griffin | Pelicans End of Season Media Availability 4/14/2023

“It was one of those things from a coaching perspective that they never had their footing under them at all,” Griffin said of the continual need to adjust. “I feel really badly that when you look back on the season, the whole season was upheaval and chaotic from that standpoint. It’s not just that (Williamson and Ingram) missed games. It’s that we had so many players out for so long. We had eight different guys miss 15 games (or more).”

Griffin noted that the Pelicans had 13 different players score 20-plus points in a win, one sign of the team’s impressive depth – but that depth was eroded as the season progressed due to injuries.

“We’ve got an awful lot of talent. The core and the nucleus of what we have here is very good,” Griffin said. “(But) we haven’t seen it play enough minutes together to be able to say, yes, this is a championship roster. It’s a really impressive group of players and human beings.”

The what-could-have-been nature of the 2022-23 season led to plenty of frustration around the organization and among the team’s fan base, Griffin indicated.

“If I’m a fan of this team, I’m really disappointed and I’m angry, and I feel like a lot was left undone,” he said. “I feel the same way. At the same time, we have something very few teams have when you look at our ability to move forward. We have a chance to be special. What’s going to get us there is we have to learn from these moments, (from) the things we didn’t do well enough.”

New Orleans heads into the offseason with a pick in the NBA draft lottery (the drawing is May 16). Griffin couldn’t predict how much change will be in store for the Pelicans, partly due to the impact of free agency, as well as alterations to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. He acknowledged that while his club must improve heading into 2023-24, there is plenty of material on hand to work with. The Pelicans proved that prior to the calendar flipping to 2023, looking like one of the NBA’s rising young teams.

“We’ve got to get better right now,” Griffin said of the summer months. “We’ve got to learn from everything we didn’t do properly. We are not good enough right now and we know it, but at the same time, 27 teams in this league would trade their rosters for ours, and their draft picks for ours. We’ve got a lot to look forward to, but we have a hell of lot of work to do.”

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Willie Green | Pelicans End of Season Media Availability 4/14/2023

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Rise to top of West, play-in loss symbolized Pelicans 'story of two seasons'

New Orleans Pelicans Executive VP of Basketball Operations David Griffin will be speaking live to the media Friday. You can watch it on pelicans.com, the Pelicans social channels, or the Pelicans YouTube channel.

Head coach Willie Green and select players will also speak to the media on Friday. Those interviews will be posted in full when they are completed on pelicans.com and the Pelicans YouTube channel.

Following the exit interviews, staff writer Jim Eichenhofer will be posting a recap article on pelicans.com.

A new episode of the Pelicans Podcast will be released on Friday. Listen to it wherever you get your podcasts.

Thank you to all of our fans for showing love to the team throughout the season. Whether you watched at the SKC, on the road, or from your couch, we could not have done it without all of you. WATCH VIDEO >>>

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5 things to know about the Pelicans on April 14, 2023

The Pelicans finished their 2022-2023 season Wednesday night after a crushing loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

The postgame recap from the game is posted now on Pelicans.com. You can view it here.

Check out the best game action photos from the game. VIEW >>

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram put on a solid performance. You can watch his best plays in his highlight video.

Postgame interviews from Coach Willie Green, Ingram, and guard CJ McCollum can be viewed here.

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5 things to know about the Pelicans on April 13, 2023

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