The Pelicans had no draft picks but were able to snag 2nd round pick Russ Smith (2013 NCAA Champion at Louisville) from the Sixers for D-Leaguer Pierre Jackson. I like Smith (worth noting that he led the Vegas Summer League in APG, not bad for his first day on the job), I think he could be a solid backup PG for years to come. But as the Pelicans already have a logjam at the guard spot, not sure what they're planning on doing with him.
If you step back and squint, that Pelican starting five looks pretty good: Asik, Davis, Anderson, Evans, Holiday. But there's no depth behind them, unless you think Eric Gordon is actually going to earn his $14.8m paycheck this year (shake the magic 8-ball: Outlook not good). Or that Austin Rivers is going to live up to the #10 pick they spent on him, which may yet come to pass (every time I saw him play I thought he looked just fine but I think I'm alone in that opinion) but if not, then he's not really even worthwhile trade bait (wait, doesn't his dad run the Clippers now?). I'm pretty sure they've signed the undrafted Patric Young and he'll provide some toughness inside but not much else. Seriously, who are they bringing off the bench?
I wish I had more brilliant observations but beyond that starting five, there's not much to say. Unless they can trade Gordon for Kevin Love (ha!), I don't see how the Pelicans even come close to making the playoffs in the West. I'm not sure the disposition of their 2015 draft pick but my gut feeling is that they've already traded it (for Asik?) and with Gordon, Evans and Holiday all signed to big money next year, I don't see how they re-shuffle this deck. As a Wildcat fan it breaks my heart that the exquisite youth of Anthony Davis is gonna be wasted on a team that won't even sniff the playoffs (Demarcus Cousins, too! Man, some teams just don't deserve to have draft picks). Oh well, that starting five is good enough to make them watchable but I doubt they'll win many games.
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