10. New Orleans Pelicans – Nick Smith Jr., G, Arkansas
Just when it seemed as if the New Orleans Pelicans had solved their mystery this season, it all fell apart once again for the team. They went from sitting atop the Western Conference standings to a team that is likely going to miss out on the payoffs entirely. Nevertheless, this team still has a bright future. And it will only get brighter with another projected top-10 pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
One prospect that the Pelicans could roll the dice on is Nick Smith Jr. This is a highly-touted prospect that simply hasn’t had the best of luck during his freshman season at Arkansas. Due to injury and whatnot, Smith is likely not going to be the top 5 or 6 pick that many expected him to be at the start of this season.
Still, he’s shown flashes of his potential all throughout this season for Arkansas. He’s a player that would help give the Pelicans the much-needed depth in the backcourt and another dynamic offensive player that the team can have next to (or behind) CJ McCollum.