New Orleans Pelicans need production out of Pierre Jackson

During the 2013 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans dealt their first round picks in 2013 and 2014 to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Jrue Holiday and Pierre Jackson. Although the player selected with that pick didn’t play for the 76ers (former Kentucky Wildcats’ center Nerlens Noel was rehabbing a torn ACL), the trade does not look good for the Pelicans thus far. [category-related]

Holiday played in just 34 games and Jackson spent the season in the D-League.

According to Jimmy Smith of NOLA.com and The New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Pelicans need Jackson to provide valuable minutes or they could see their star, power forward Anthony Davis, grow frustrated with a lack of progress.

"As well as Jackson, a second-round pick in 2013, performed in the NBA Development League last year – the Pelicans initially hoped that he’d spend a year in Europe but Jackson left a French team last fall before playing a game – Jackson’s skill set may not be equal to a first-rounder in this summer’s draft, deemed by many the deepest in recent memory.So with just a month to go before the June 26th selections, the Pelicans find themselves in a highly undesirable position: no picks, a potentially static roster, and a franchise-changing superstar in Anthony Davis who can look around and see there haven’t been any moves this year to enhance the team’s postseason viability."

In essence, if Jackson plays like a first round pick and Holiday is healthy, the trade could very quickly even out of even swing in the Pelicans’ favor.

Jackson averaged 29.1 points and 6.2 assists per game for the Idaho Stampede last season.