2013 NBA Draft Results: New Orleans Pelicans Live Draft Grade

Wow, didn’t see that one coming. At all. The Pelicans selected Nerlens Noel out of Kentucky, and decided to forego selecting a point guard, likely Trey Burke or Michael Carter-Williams. The Cavaliers selecting Anthony Bennett with the number one overall pick absolutely shook the entire draft up, and teams like Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz that were point guard hunting in this draft are smiling from ear-to-ear.

The Noel-Anthony Davis fit in New Orleans is endlessly intriguing, as there is a ton of length, shot-blocking, and athleticism in the paint, but somewhat of a dearth in post moves, at least at this stage in the game. Davis is certainly the superior player down low, and Noel is raw and coming off of a serious knee injury. It may not be too much of a “block party” right away.

Once both players are completely healthy and ready to go, the Pelicans will be a ton of fun to watch. Minus all of the bricks thrown up by Austin Rivers and Greivis Vasquez, that is. They’re still going to need a ton of help on the wings and in the back court, but this squad is shaping up very nicely, and at the very least, they’re going to be a League Pass favorite very quickly.

Edit: Nerlens Noel is on the move to Philadelphia, according to Andy Katz. For what, we don’t know yet. Stay tuned.