New Orleans Pelicans: 2018 NBA Draft grades

The New Orleans Pelicans had a single second round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, using the No. 51 selection on Tony Carr.

The New Orleans Pelicans did not have a first round selection in the 2018 NBA Draft thanks to the trade that bought Nikola Mirotic to the Big Easy from the Chicago Bulls. They missed out on pick No. 22, but that is a small price to pay for the floor-spacing ability that Mirotic provides.

However, this left the Pelicans with only pick No. 51 in this draft. There have been very few success stories beyond pick No. 50 in the draft, but there are always exceptions. The Pelicans are hopeful this is the case with this pick.

The Pelicans selected Tony Carr out of Penn State. The 6’5″ guard is a proven scorer who, if given the correct opportunity will provide a boost for any offense when he takes the court.

Last season, he averaged 19.6 points and 5.0 assists per game. These numbers should get him a good amount of playing time in NBA Summer League. This will be the best possible audition to see if he can buck the trend of most picks beyond No. 50.

Carr has size to play both guard positions and the ability to create for others. He had a really good season from deep last year, shooting 43.3 percent from beyond the arc. These attributes will be particularly useful when playing with a player like Anthony Davis.

The Pelicans need players who can space the floor with their shooting so that Davis has room. They also want players who can feed the team centerpiece while having the ability to score themselves.

The future

There is a good chance that Carr will not get much game time in the NBA this year, he will see more time in the G League. However, if the Pelicans are not able to secure the signature of starting point guard Rajon Rondo, Carr might get more of an opportunity.

As a short-term move, it is rare for a late second round pick to work out immediately. They are chosen later in the draft because their skill-sets are not as advanced as players taken earlier. However, there is an element of long-term planning with this pick.

The Pelicans have never gone past the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Taking a 6’5″ player who can score as a potential project to support Davis and the rest of the team in the future shows long-term planning.

The Pelicans are in an incredible position. They had the ability to make the second round of the playoffs and the team is still young. While Carr will initially have to fight for a roster spot in his rookie season, if he can make it he is joining a strong team that can develop his game playing between the G League and the Pelicans.

Carr is only the 10th player in Penn State history to be drafted and the first since Calvin Booth in 1999, making him the first player drafted this century from the college. Only four players have made successful careers.

Booth played 10 seasons, Frank Brickowski played 13 seasons and Bob Weiss played 12 seasons. Let us hope for the sake of the New Orleans Pelicans that Carr can have a career as long as those guys.

Next: Complete 2018 NBA Draft grades for all 30 teams

Grade: B-