If the prayers of every New Orleans Pelicans’ fan had been answered Monday night, Joe Dumars would have won the NBA draft lottery.
With that victory would have come a no-brainer of a decision on what to do with the No. 1 overall pick: draft Duke sensation Cooper Flagg.
Or at worst, if the ping pong balls would have just fallen the way the percentages said they would, the Pelicans would have had one of the next three picks.
Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, Rutgers forward Ace Bailey or Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe would have all been viable options.
But instead, a Pelicans team that finished with the fourth worst record in the NBA fell three spots and will have the No. 7 pick at the June 25.
So who will the Pelicans pick at No. 7?
Here’s my ranking of seven possible draft prospects they may choose. We’ll assume the top five guys (Flagg, Harper, Bailey, Edgcombe and Texas guard Tre Johnson) are all off the board by the time the Pelicans are on the clock.
1. Kon Knueppel, Duke: If I had to peg a favorite, it would be Knueppel. While Flagg got most of the attention at Duke, there was another freshman at Duke whose stock rose this season as the Blue Devils got to the Final Four. Knueppel is an excellent 3-point shooter (41 % from long distance) and he’d get plenty of good looks playing alongside another member of the Duke brotherhood in Williamson. Knueppel was named MVP of the ACC Tournament.
2. Jeremiah Fears, Oklahoma: The Sooners’ 6-foot-4 point guard may not still be around at No. 7. But if he is, he could provide help in a backcourt that will almost certainly be without Dejounte Murray (recovering from a torn Achilles) to start the season. Fears isn’t the best shooter in the draft (shot less than 30 % on 3’s for Oklahoma), but he’s good in the clutch and can fill up a stat sheet. His best game in his one season at Oklahoma was a 27 point, 10 assist effort against Mississippi State.
3. Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina: Dumars played on the Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boys teams, so we know he likes toughness. Murray-Boyles, a 6-foot-7 forward, fits the bill. He played two years at South Carolina, earning second-team All-SEC honors this past season. He had a 35-point game against Arkansas when he shot a Zion Williamson-like 12 of 16 from the floor.
4. Khaman Maluach, Duke: Would the Pelicans draft a center in the first round for the second straight year after taking Yves Missi with the No. 21 overall pick last June? Don’t rule it out. The 18-year old Maluach, who stands 7-foot-2, just started playing basketball five years ago. He is a true rim protector and could give the Pelicans the kind of depth inside that the Dallas Mavericks have with Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively.
5. Derik Queen, Maryland: Queen, who also plays center, is about four inches shorter than Maluach. While Maluach will make his mark early on defense, Queen’s strength right now is on the other end of the court. You may remember his game-winning running fall away jumper as time expired to beat Colorado State and send Maryland to the Sweet 16. If the Pelicans decide to take the best player available route, he may be the pick.
6. Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois: If the Pelicans are really in the market for a point guard and Fears isn’t available, this would be the way to go. He’s listed at 6-foot-6 and is a nifty passer and has little trouble creating his own shot. Jakucionis, who turns 19 in two weeks, was named third team All-Big Ten.
7. Jase Richardson, Michigan State: It was 24 years ago that Jason Richardson, Jase’s father, was drafted with the No. 5 overall pick by the Golden State Warriors. Jase, a combo guard who attended the same school as his dad, could be a lottery pick, too. Richardson also made third team All Big Ten in his one season with the Spartans. His ability to play both guards position and NBA pedigree both work in his favor.
The silver lining in the Pels sliding to the No. 7 draft spot is they don’t need a player to come in to be the savior of the franchise. If healthy – and that’s been a big IF over the years – they have the pieces to be in the playoff hunt. Zion Williamson, of course, is the key to it all. Williamson is the guy that previous executive director of basketball operations David Griffin built this roster around. The best guess is he’ll also be the guy Dumars will continue to try to build around. Williamson represented the Pelicans in Chicago at the draft Monday night, a likely indication that he’ll continue to be the face of the franchise.
Who will the Pelicans add to the roster to play alongside him?
You’ll have to wait six weeks (and seven picks) for the answer.