5) Buddy Hield (11/2 odds)
Buddy Hield has a questionable NBA future at this point. While most believe that he will be successful in the NBA as a pure scoring guard, some believe that he could pan out like Jimmer Fredette did. Both were selected with the sixth overall pick in their respective drafts? and both were absolutely lethal scorers/shooters at the NCAA level.
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Hield goes to New Orleans Pelicans to join one of the best players in the game in Anthony Davis. In the West, Anthony Davis by himself doesn’t stand a chance with the strength of teams like the Thunder, Warriors, and Spurs leading the way.
What the Pelicans needed was a guy that could help put up a lot of points to pair with their predominantly defensive squad. Hield’s arrival likely is the writing on the wall for guard Eric Gordon, who is an unrestricted free agent who has a similar playing style to Buddy’s.
I see him either in the Pelicans’ starting lineup or one of the first few guys off the bench. He would fit into the “sixth man” role perfectly, but without much competition on the current roster, he may be asked to start as a rookie.
If he can get the starting nod, he will likely get around 29-35 mpg (minutes per game) which should get him a pretty good stat line in year one. I like Hield’s upside and potential in the NBA, but I believe that he may take a couple seasons to really get going and prove himself as an NBA-caliber starting 2-guard.
Next: No. 4