NBA Draft 2016: Every team’s most underrated pick ever
By Brad Rowland
New Orleans Pelicans: David West, No. 18 pick, 2003 NBA Draft
The history between the Charlotte Hornets and New Orleans Pelicans is tough to delineate sometimes, and that makes sense given how the franchises seem to overlap. With that mind, though, David West is credited to New Orleans as a draft pick, and he is an easy choice here.
Chris Paul and Anthony Davis are (easily) the best picks in recent memory for this franchise, but West flies under the radar as a very good power forward for a long period of time. The veteran power forward acted as Paul’s partner in crime during the team’s best stretch while in New Orleans, averaging 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game across eight seasons and 530 regular season games.
In addition to that sheer production in the box score, West is renowned for being one of the best leaders and “tough guys” in the NBA world, and that veteran presence was certainly integral for New Orleans during his stint. Finding real value in the middle stages of the first round certainly isn’t a given, and West is a ten-plus year veteran that has played at a high level for a long time. He should be discussed in higher regard.
Next: New York Knicks