Taking a closer look at five things we learned from an eventful 2019 NBA Draft night
To say the least, the 2019 NBA Draft was an eventful one. After weeks of smoke screening, the draft was everything but predictable – apart from the first three picks, which was just about the only chalk of the night.
You can see the full two-round results here, but if you’re looking for added commentary stick it here. Let’s get on with five things that we learned from a chaotic night. We begin with a few teams that changed the direction of their franchise.
Pelicans reset their frontcourt – which likely means they will move on from Julius Randle
From all indications, the New Orleans Pelicans operated on NBA Draft night like a team that was ready to reset their future. And they did just that by adding three first-round picks (after trading the 4th pick for, essentially, the 8th and 17th) and two in the top 10.
But the Pelicans’ first two picks of the night addressed the team’s frontcourt situation, drafting Zion Williamson and Jaxson Hayes. The hope is that, sooner rather than later, these two players could hold down their frontcourt for years to come. Which likely means that the team will move on from Julius Randle this summer.
The Pelicans arguably had the best draft of the night, also adding Nickeil Alexander-Walker with the 17th pick. New Orleans has a plethora of young talent moving forward.