Draft

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Go behind the scenes for New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hakwins' first day with the Pelicans after being drafted 14th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.

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Behind the Scenes: Jordan Hawkins' first day with the Pelicans

Go behind the scenes at New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins' first community event with the Pelicans at the Youth Empowerment Project and 18th Ward Sports Club's youth basketball camp on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.

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Behind the scenes at Jordan Hawkins' first community event with the Pelicans

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins' talks about his journey to the NBA after being drafted 14th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft in his one-on-one interview with team reporter Erin Summers.

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Jordan Hawkins talks journey to the NBA in one-on-one interview

Jim Eichenhofer

The glowing praise related to Jordan Hawkins’ accurate perimeter shot continues to accumulate, with descriptions such as “breathtaking” and “unmatchable” being common since he was drafted by New Orleans at No. 14 overall last week. The 21-year-old sounds motivated to carve out a reputation beyond being just a spot-up shooter, however.

“People target me as a shooter, but last year our (national championship UConn) team was so deep, I had to take a step back and take that role,” Hawkins said Tuesday during his introductory New Orleans press conference. “I can put the ball on the floor, create when I have to, playmake. I adjust to what the team needs me to do.”

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Jordan Hawkins' Introductory Press Conference 6/27/2023

Near the top of the Maryland native’s 2022-23 individual resume was his 38.8 three-point percentage on 281 tries, but he also was second on the Huskies in free throw attempts per game (3.8). It helped that Hawkins led NCAA Division I with 23 fouls drawn on three-pointers (via CBB Analytics), but he totaled 141 foul shots, making 125 for an elite percentage of 88.7.

Since helping UConn win the 2023 national title in April, Hawkins said he’s added 10 pounds, realizing he needs to get stronger as enters the professional level.

“I’ve been putting a lot (of work) on my body,” he said. “That’s been the most important thing for me through this process.”

During ABC’s draft-night coverage, UConn head coach Dan Hurley described Hawkins as a mature and coachable player, with an attitude that lends itself to improvement.

“The shooting is breathtaking when you see it on a daily basis,” Hurley said. “He’s tough, competitive, he’s got a chip on his shoulder. He really didn’t come into his own until late in his career, so he hasn’t had his butt kissed a whole lot. He lets you coach him, he wants to be coached, and he’s an old soul.”

Pelicans GM Trajan Langdon used a similar tone Tuesday in his assessment of Hawkins.

“Not only is (his) shooting very important to us, but the more digging and the more intel-gathering we did on him, we understood what a high-character young man he is,” Langdon said, “coming from a great family, hard worker, highly competitive and obviously bringing a national champion in the fold was intriguing to us as well.”

Given his on-court reputation and skill set, defenses have always tried to prevent Hawkins from firing open shots or getting clean looks at the basket with his feet set. As a counter to that strategy, the 6-foot-5, 190-pounder has worked on adding versatility to his offensive arsenal. He’s constantly focused on his conditioning in order to run relentlessly on offense, while developing a knack for shooting on the move or off of screens. Hawkins mentioned that one of his high school coaches developed a “Reggie Miller offense” to capitalize on those strengths.

“I knew I was a shooter at a young age, but adding that movement piece was really important,” said Hawkins, who’s studied the way guards such as Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Richard Hamilton and Ray Allen relocate away from the ball in halfcourt offense.

Three months after scoring 16 points in UConn’s title-clinching win over San Diego State, Hawkins will get his first chance to show his ability at the pro level in Las Vegas during NBA Summer League. New Orleans’ summer squad will debut in game action July 7 vs. Minnesota.

“I’m really excited for it, my first glimpse of professional basketball,” said Hawkins, who’ll practice with his summer teammates prior to the trip to Nevada. “It’s going to be really fun. I can’t wait for that first practice, to see what it’s really like. I can’t wait.”

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Pelicans No. 14 pick Jordan Hawkins motivated to continue adding to skill set

New Orleans Pelicans first round draft pick Jordan Hawkins' (Guard, UConn) introductory press conference on Tuesday June 26, 2023 at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center after being drafted 14th overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.

At this point you’ve probably seen plenty of national reactions to the New Orleans selection of guard Jordan Hawkins with the final pick of the 2023 draft lottery, but no one knows the player as well as those who covered him during his two-year University of Connecticut career. Pelicans.com enlisted David Borges, UConn men’s basketball beat writer for Hearst Connecticut Media, to help provide additional background on the 21-year-old Maryland native, as he joins the Pelicans and begins preparing for July summer league.

Pelicans.com: Let’s start with Thursday’s draft. What was the general reaction among UConn fans and media to Hawkins being picked 14th, the final selection of the lottery? Was that a surprise or expected? Did he enter last season as a player expected to turn pro in 2023?Borges: Hawkins was expected to go anywhere between about 8 and 20, and most thought he’d be right on the fringe of the lottery. Which, obviously, he was. And now, as a lottery pick, he gets a banner on UConn’s practice facility walls, alongside the program’s 14 other lottery picks.Hawkins came to Storrs with a plan to be an NBA Draft pick after two years, just like James Bouknight. In fact, Hurley told him he could be the “next James Bouknight.” Hurley also predicted back in early November that Hawkins would be a first-round pick this year. It sounded a bit lofty at the time, but he had seen Hawkins in summer workouts and secret scrimmages, and he was right. Their plan came to fruition.

Pelicans.com: Hawkins made one of the biggest jumps from his freshman to sophomore year you’ll ever see by a player, going from scoring 5.8 points per game to 16.2. What were some of the biggest reasons behind that increase?Borges: Hawkins dealt with some injuries (including concussions) as a freshman. He also struggled a lot with his confidence. When he struggled, he had poor body language and seemed too hard on himself. He worked on improving on that a lot over the summer, along with getting up thousands of shots. He was much more confident this season. And he was also healthy, save for an injury in the season-opener that kept him out of the next two games … and a bout with food-poisoning at the Final Four!

Pelicans.com: UConn head coach Dan Hurley was quoted as saying that Hawkins “still has an unbelievable upside beyond who he is right now.” What are some of the areas where he can make the biggest improvements?Borges: He can definitely improve his ballhandling. And while he’s improved his defense a lot since his freshman season, coming up with a few awesome chasedown blocks this season, he certainly needs to bulk up a little bit and improve even more on that end of the floor.

Pelicans.com: How do you expect playing in the NBA will impact Hawkins and some of his strengths? For example, his spot-up shooting appears to be perhaps his most pro-ready skill. Now he’ll be playing with several elite offensive talents in New Orleans.Borges: Hawkins’ ability to shoot off of ball-screens is elite. He’s always in motion, always moving, and has a very quick release and accurate shot. It seems tailor-made for the NBA.

Pelicans.com: The New Orleans front office has made a major emphasis on character and bringing in players who are good teammates in recent years. How do you describe what Hawkins has been like in his interactions with other players and/or the media?Borges: Jordan is a very nice, quiet, soft-spoken kid. He got along with everyone on his team and his coaches love him. He’s not the biggest talker, and his interactions with the media are often via short answers, but he’s always courteous and respectful.

Pelicans.com: What’s one thing even diehard UConn fans might not know about Hawkins?Borges: I think it’s cool that Hawkins said his heroes aren’t MJ or LeBron or Kobe or KD, but his parents, Jasmine and Craig. When asked what his favorite basketball memory was, he simply stated it was shooting hoops and working on his game outside with his dad.

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Significant year-to-year jump at UConn made Jordan Hawkins an NBA lottery pick

The news of Jordan Hawkins being selected No. 14 overall by New Orleans in Thursday’s draft was well received in parts of the Northeast – specifically Storrs, Conn., where the shooting guard starred in college for the Connecticut Huskies. The final choice of the 2023 NBA lottery was also endorsed in nearby Baton Rouge, by a prominent women’s basketball standout, LSU forward Angel Reese. Also a 2023 NCAA national champion, Reese is Hawkins’ cousin and responded to the development by tweeting her excitement that he will also play hoops in the Gulf South during the upcoming 2023-24 season.

Nationally, the reception to the Hawkins pick has been similarly positive. A wide range of websites posted their draft grades for all 30 NBA teams either late Thursday or Friday morning – and the vast majority doled out an ‘A’ or ‘B’ designation for the Pelicans. A recap of some of the prominent sites, with Sporting News and Yahoo! topping the list by granting a report card of an ‘A’ grade to New Orleans. Comments are provided by each respective media entity:

BLEACHER REPORT“Hawkins will need to fill out his frame to offer more resistance at the defensive end. Still, his shot looks like an elite (or near-elite, at least) skill that should allow him to contribute right now and potentially spend a decade-plus in this league. More than a few mocks had Hawkins slipping out of the lottery, and that never made sense to me. He’s an instant-impact contributor with plenty of room to grow. Great pick.”Grade: A-minus

CBS SPORTS“The best movement shooter in this year’s NBA Draft proved to be an unmatchable hot-streak shooter for UConn during their title run. The eye test bared out his ability to hit tough shots off screens. He now gets to play off of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.”Grade: B-plus

CLUTCH POINTS“The New Orleans Pelicans have their three stars in Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, which is why they wanted a player who could come in and help them win right now. Hawkins can do this out on the wing and will be an immediate source of three-point shooting.”Grade: B

ESPN.COM“Credit to Trey Murphy, who said on&nbsp;our Hoop Collective draft livestream that the Pelicans should add shooting with their lone pick at the end of the lottery. They don’t come much better as shooters than Hawkins, who hit 39% of his 3s and 89% of his free throws for the national champion Huskies.”Grade: B

NBADRAFT.NET“Hawkins is a big-game stud and one of the draft’s best motion shooters. He didn’t come to UConn as a no-question first-round talent, but he built himself into one after an impressive sophomore campaign and national title run. He's a great shooter from all over the floor and an aggressive off-ball cutter and mover. He is a sturdy and reliable defender, as well. … He will learn a lot of tricks from CJ McCollum.”Grade: A-minus

NBC SPORTS“The Pels made just one pick in this year’s draft, and they selected the NCAA champ to close out the lottery. Hawkins averaged better than 16 points per game for the Huskies during their title run, and he can be a great addition to New Orleans’ bench as a capable scorer and three-point shooter.”Grade: B

NEW YORK POST“The Pelicans took Jordan Hawkins 14th, drafting one of the best shooters in this draft. Hawkins is deadly when his feet are set, moves extremely well without the ball and can shoot on the move, although there are defensive and athleticism questions.”Grade: B-minus

SPORTING NEWS“The Pelicans only had one pick, but it went according to plan. New Orleans needed a shooter to help space the floor for Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and C.J. McCollum, and it selected one of the best 3-point marksmen in this class.Hawkins has a flamethrower, capable of knocking down 3s in a variety of ways with a lightning-quick release.”Grade: A

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED“Don't be fooled by tonight’s letter grade: the Pelicans left with a player who is sure to significantly bolster their outside shooting from the get-go. And that’s something you can’t fault the team for reaching on, especially with one of the more talented young cores in the league. Alongside players like Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III and Dyson Daniels, Hawkins will thrive with his white-hot movement shooting next season, and that’s a worthy pick to cap off the lottery.”Grade: B-minus

THE RINGER“The best 3-point shooter off movement in this draft, a player who is at home running a maze and firing a shot at a moment’s notice. Though he doesn’t have ideal dimensions or strength at the wing position, he is a good athlete and lateral mover with vertical pop, granting him access to plays on both offense and defense that many other shooting specialists can’t tap into.”Grade: B

USA TODAY FTW”The Pelicans needed shooting. They got it. Simple.”Grade: B-plus

YAHOO!“Hawkins is one of the best shooters in this class and the NBA is a shooter’s league. He commands the attention of defenders every time he’s on offense with the way he moves off the ball. If he catches a defender sleeping, he’s letting it fly. Hawkins helped lead UConn to a national championship this year, shooting 39% from 3-point range on seven attempts per game.”Grade: A

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'Best movement shooter in draft' delivers high marks for Pelicans in team grades

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Photos: Pelicans hold Influencer Draft Watch Party for 2023 NBA Draft

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