2019 NBA Mock Draft: When simulating the lottery gets wonky
player. 69. . G/F. Duke. RJ Barrett. 2
The year after New Orleans traded Chris Paul, they bottomed out, won the 2011 NBA Draft lottery and selected Anthony Davis with the No. 1 overall pick. It would be remarkable, then, for the Pelicans to luck into a top-four pick the summer they are expected to ship out Davis. A stroke of fortune, however, that would be much-deserved for a franchise with a growing local fanbase and a coaching staff that just dealt with a disastrous season.
New Orleans is just what Barrett needs. Alvin Gentry is the right coach to coax good decisions out of him while also understanding the breathing room a born scorer needs to get better on his own. David Griffin has a reputation as one of the best star-whisperers in the NBA and was just hired to guide the Pelicans past the Davis era.
Griffin speaks often of players who are able to “dictate outcomes.” Barrett will eventually be one of those players. Throughout the season, we have preached that stylistic problems are easier to hone for great players than skills they lack. At worst, talented players who make bad decisions usually make a few All-Star games, even if they sometimes get in their own way too often to succeed at the highest levels.
It’s too early to say anything so big-picture about Barrett, but the point stands as pros on his side ahead of other competitors for the second pick, including Morant and Culver.
Regardless, the quiet, strong infrastructure of New Orleans would be a perfect (if unlikely) landing spot for Barrett, if the Pelicans leap big-time on lottery night.