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New Orleans Pelicans: 5 Draft Options At No. 56

ByGerald Bourguet|
Jan 5, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard/forward Pat Connaughton (24) dribbles as North Carolina Tar Heels forward J.P. Tokoto (13) defends in the second half. The Fighting Irish defeated the Tar Heels 71-70 at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 5, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard/forward Pat Connaughton (24) dribbles as North Carolina Tar Heels forward J.P. Tokoto (13) defends in the second half. The Fighting Irish defeated the Tar Heels 71-70 at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
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New Orleans Pelicans
Jan 5, 2015; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard/forward Pat Connaughton (24) dribbles as North Carolina Tar Heels forward J.P. Tokoto (13) defends in the second half. The Fighting Irish defeated the Tar Heels 71-70 at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The New Orleans Pelicans are coming off a feel-good 2014-15 season, complete with a surprising playoff appearance after outlasting the Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns for the final spot in the Western Conference.

The season ultimately resulted in a first round sweep at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, but the Pelicans largely competed against a team that might end up winning the championship. With Anthony Davis already in the “best player in the league” discussion and new head coach Alvin Gentry coming in, the future is now for the Pellies.

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No one is expecting an overnight transformation, but this franchise needs to start positioning itself to get the Brow the help he needs to turn NOLA into a title contender down the road.

Heading into the offseason, the Pellies clearly need some help on the wing, No offense to Luke Babbitt and his subtle improvement, but in addition to looking like the French king from Disney’s The Three Muskateers, he’s better suited coming off the bench.

The Pelicans really need a wing who can improve the team’s defense and, preferably, knock down shots from the perimeter, but they could also use a backup big with Omer Asik‘s future up in the air as an unrestricted free agent this summer.

New Orleans, contrary to popular belief, was actually a very good three-point shooting team, converting 37 percent of their attempts from downtown (fourth best in the NBA). But with the backcourt overloaded and Anthony Davis capable of playing both frontcourt positions, the small forward and backup center positions are the biggest areas of need.

Heading into the draft, the Pelicans have to send their first round pick (No. 18) to the Houston Rockets as part of the Omer Asik trade. But since they have a second round pick coming from the Memphis Grizzlies, it’s time to take a look at who might be able to help New Orleans at No. 56 in the draft.

Honorable Mentions: Robert Upshaw, Tyler Harvey, Michael Qualls, Larry Nance Jr., Norman Powell, Aaron White, Michael Frazier II, Richaun Holmes and Tyler Haws

Next: No. 5

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