The New Orleans Pelicans have been a franchise to watch over the past few years. They’ve made some big moves and drafted some great players. In this article, we’ll be looking at the 2021 NBA Draft grades for both of their picks in the first round.
The number 1 draft picks nba 2021 is a new article that lists the grades for the New Orleans Pelicans’ first round pick in 2021.
With the 17th and 35th selections in the 2021 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans chose Trey Murphy and Herb Jones, respectively. These two forwards can defend a variety of spots and have a lot of promise in other areas.
Let’s evaluate both of these guys and see how well the Pelicans fared in acquiring them.
NBA Draft Grades for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2021
1st Round
Trey Murphy: I’m Trey Murphy.
The 6-foot-9 Virginia star may be one of the NBA Draft’s steals in 2021. The guy has perfected his stroke. He hit 50.3 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from three-point range (on 4.8 tries a game), and 92.7 percent from the free-throw line last season. He became the first and only player in Virginia history to shoot 50/40/90 in a season.
Murphy has a nice, quick-release shooting technique, which makes him an ideal spot-up shooter for the Pelicans.
The 21-year-old is more than an assassin on the attack. He’s also capable of shutting down the opposition’s top player, having shown his ability to defend all guard and forward positions. He’s a lockdown defender because to his lateral speed and size. Murphy has an odd habit of constantly having one hand up while defending his guy, as though he’s ready to swat the shot. Murphy has shown the ability to read what the offense is going to accomplish in addition to his agility. He sometimes utilizes his lengthy arms to block passing lanes en route to a theft.
The Pelicans’ current build is the only reason we can’t award this selection an A+. Murphy, as previously said, had a fantastic field-goal percentage last season and throughout his collegiate career. As a cutter, Murphy hit 82.6 percent of his shots from the field. Lay-ups, dunks, and alley-oops accounted for the bulk of his baskets from cuts. This demonstrates his excellent finishing skills as well as his excellent off-ball mobility. He also throws down mid-range jumpers from time to time on these cuts. Unfortunately for the Pelicans, they won’t be able to fully use Murphy’s abilities since they don’t have a point guard with next-level passing and playmaking abilities (at least as of this writing).
2nd Round
B+ for Herb Jones
The Pelicans seem to be on the verge of moving up a notch in the defensive rankings over the next several years. We complimented Murphy’s defensive skills. Last season, Alabama’s Herb Jones, a 6-foot-8 defensive star, was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year. This accomplishment pretty much sums up all you need to know about him.
He has not just the necessary length and lateral quickness, but he has also acquired elite-level strength. This enables him to easily defend numerous locations. Jones’ highlight reel showed him blocking numerous jump shots, which was amusing to see. Furthermore, he has shown that he is a disciplined defender. When defending driving lay-ups, Jones makes every attempt to stay vertical.
Aside from his defense, Jones has showed a lot of promise as a playmaker. In 2020-21, he averaged 3.3 assists per game, which is very excellent for a striker. Fastbreak set-ups and even half-court ones are second nature to him. Jones has the potential to develop into a Draymond Green-like player, which may seem blasphemous to some.
Unfortunately, Jones, like Green, lacks a consistent shooting stroke in his arsenal. This may be one of the reasons why Jones won’t be seen much by Pelicans fans in his first season. It’s assumed that if you’re in the NBA, you can shoot. Jones hasn’t developed that aspect of his game yet in his career.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many picks do the pelicans have in 2021?
Which NBA team has the best draft 2021?
The Toronto Raptors have the best draft 2021.
Who did the pelicans draft in 2021?
The New Orleans Pelicans drafted Zion Williamson with the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
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