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Heading into the 2022-23 NBA season, folks had high expectations for the New Orleans Pelicans. After all, the Pelicans were fresh off of the franchise's first postseason appearance since the 2017-18 season and took the one-seeded Phoenix Suns to six games as the eighth seed in the West. But fast forward to the current day, and it's evident that the Pelicans fell short of expectations.
The Pelicans did little but tread water this season, as while they did improve on their regular-season record from last season, New Orleans still finished with just the ninth-best record in the Western Conference. And they didn't even qualify for the postseason, as the Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated them in the play-in tournament.
But if there's one positive takeaway from the Pelicans' underwhelming season, it's that they have the 2023 NBA Draft to look forward to. More specifically, the Pelicans own the 14th overall pick in the draft. Whether the Pelicans will stay at pick 14 is unclear, as they are reportedly interested in trading up in the draft to select guard prospect Scoot Henderson. But if the Pelicans decide to stay put at pick 14, there are plenty of players projected to fall in that range who could help the team right away. With all of that said, here's a last-minute prediction for who the Pelicans will select with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft:
Pelicans prediction: Dereck Lively II
Dereck Lively II, a 7'1″ center, established himself as arguably the best defensive center in the nation during his freshman year with the Duke Blue Devils. Lively is at his best on the defensive end when he's defending the rim. In limited minutes, he averaged 2.4 blocks per game and an otherworldly 4.7 blocks per 40 minutes. His blend of size and timing made him a force to be reckoned with at the rim.
But for as great as Lively is at blocking shots, he's much more than merely a shot-blocker. Lively also rebounded the ball at an excellent rate with the Blue Devils, as he corralled 10.5 rebounds per 40 minutes as a freshman.
Aside from Lively's defensive-minded skill set, it makes sense for the Pelicans to pick him because they're short on depth at the center spot. Jonas Valanciunas is a terrific offensive player and a starting caliber big man, but Jaxson Hayes may very well leave in free agency, and Willie Hernangomez is a very flawed defensive player. Drafting Lively at 14 would shore up the team's center depth and also give the Pelicans something they don't have: a defensive-minded big man.
For all the good that Dereck Lively does on the defensive end of the floor, he isn't without his flaws, though. For one, Lively is a very raw offensive player, as he attempted just 3.4 shots per game with Duke and averaged 5.2 points. Whether or not Lively will ever be a great offensive player is unclear at this stage.
But despite his flaws on the offensive end of the floor, Lively's defensive prowess is too impressive for the Pelicans to pass up at pick 14. So long as the Pelicans don't trade up to the top three in the NBA draft and select star guard Scoot Henderson, the Pelicans will select Duke center Dereck Lively with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
