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The New Orleans Pelicans had a successful season, making it to the playoffs without Zion Williamson. New Orleans first-year head coach Willie Green did a tremendous job building the scheme and culture up.
The trade for C.J. McCollum at the deadline was fantastic, as he helped them make their playoff push. He is an excellent combo guard and seems to have unlocked his full potential with the Pelicans.
McCollum averaged 24.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists with New Orleans. He shot 49.3 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from behind the arc.
McCollum thrived as the lead guard, as he was no longer playing off a star guard like Damian Lillard.
Brandon Ingram and Jonas Valanciunas had great seasons as well, fitting in with the team perfectly. Ingram averaged 22.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 32.7 percent from three.
The offseason trade for Valanciunas turned out to be the right one. As a shooting big man, he opens up the floor for finishers like Ingram. He averaged 17.8 points per game, along with 11.4 rebounds. Valanciunas shot 54.4 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from downtown.
They have built a great roster but could improve it even more with a solid draft.
While New Orleans has the 8th overall pick via the Los Angeles Lakers, their second-round picks could bring valuable role players. Herb Jones was a second-round pick for the Pelicans last year who turned into one of the best rookies.
They will be looking to replicate this success with their second-rounders, at picks 41 and 52. Finding role players in this spot would help the Pelicans create an even deeper team.
With that said, here are three sleeper prospects for the Pelicans to target in the 2022 NFL Draft.
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Pelicans 2022 NBA Draft Sleeper Targets
3. Guard/Forward Max Christie
Max Christie is an athletic guard and forward that is a solid defender and shooter. Christie didn't have a great season in college but is a talented prospect.
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He averaged 9.3 points per game while shooting 38.2 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three.
He needs to become more consistent but can be a good shooter. Christie projects to contribute as a role player for whatever team selects him in the draft.
The Pelicans could utilize his skillset in a bench role if he can become a consistent three-point shooter and defender.
2. Forward Josh Minott
Josh Minott would be another good prospect for New Orleans to look at. Although Minott isn't a great three-point shooter, he contributes in many more areas. He is great scoring in a system, especially with off-ball movement.
Minott is also a good defender, which is important for role players, especially off the bench. In his one season at Memphis, he averaged 6.6 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 52.2 percent from the field. While his numbers don't jump off the page, he could grow into an adequate role player for the Pelicans.
1. Forward Jabari Walker
Jabari Walker is an excellent all-around forward that will be an instant contributor as a role player. This past season at Colorado, he averaged 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds. He shot 46.1 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from behind the arc. For his college career, he was a 39.9 percent shooter from three, showing that he can be a knockdown shooter.
Walker could be a steal in the second round and would be a good backup forward for the Pelicans. He could slot in behind Ingram and Williamson and be a key contributor off the bench.
The Pelicans have a good foundation to build on, and a solid draft could help them make a deep playoff run. Williamson's return from injury will be vital to New Orleans going further, but adding more talent would be highly beneficial.
