E.J. Liddell out of Ohio State is one of the youngest and most exciting prospects in basketball. Now his NBA dreams are coming to fruition as the New Orleans Pelicans selected Liddell with the 41st pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Liddell spent three years at Ohio State. He continuously improved each season and enjoyed his best overall campaign in his third year. He averaged over 19 points on 49 percent field goal shooting and 37 percent three-point shooting. Additionally, Liddell demonstrated growth as a defender and rebounder. The Ohio State product averaged 2.6 blocks and 8 rebounds for the Buckeyes in the 2021-2022 season.
At 6'7, his 2.6 blocks per game stood out in a major way. He likely won't be able to maintain block numbers like that in the pros, but he still projects to be a quality NBA defender. His weight of 240 pounds should help him continue to be a solid rebounder as well. He isn't someone who is going to be pushed around in the post.
E.J. Liddell could have entered the NBA Draft following the 2020-2021 season. But the returned to Ohio State to grow as a player. A decision that ultimately paid off.
Sure, Liddell isn't a perfect player. He isn't much of a playmaker or ball-handler. He was known for his scoring and defensive prowess at Ohio State. If he can develop into a player who gets teammates involved, Liddell could become an extremely talented and well-rounded NBA star.
He was originally projected to go somewhere in the middle part of the first round of the NBA draft before being selected by the Pelicans with the 41st pick.
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