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New Orleans Pelicans: Complete 2018 offseason grades

By Adam Tayabali

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JULY 13: Elfrid Payton #4, General Manager Dell Demps, and Julius Randle #30 of the New Orleans Pelicans pose for a photo during a press conference on July 13, 2018 at the the Ochsner Sports Performance Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JULY 13: Elfrid Payton #4, General Manager Dell Demps, and Julius Randle #30 of the New Orleans Pelicans pose for a photo during a press conference on July 13, 2018 at the the Ochsner Sports Performance Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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2018 NBA Draft
Photo by Stephen Pellegrino/NBAE via Getty Images /

Drafting Tony Carr

The Pelicans drafted Penn State guard Tony Carr with the No. 51 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. New Orleans traded away their 2018 first-round pick to the Chicago Bulls in the trade for Nikola Mirotic.

The 6’5″ Carr averaged 19.6 points, 5.0 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore. At Summer League, however, he struggled to stand out while being forced to play off-ball.

Although they only had their second-round pick, New Orleans needed a player who could contribute right away. Unfortunately, Carr lacks many of the skills necessary to excel in the modern game.

His passing and 3-point shooting aren’t at an elite level, nor does he possess the speed or athleticism necessary to dominate smaller guards on defense.

It’s probably for the best that Carr will start his career playing in Italy. According to Sportrando, Carr will play under former NBA coach Larry Brown for Fiat Torino. He can play more and expand his game rather than riding the bench for a majority of the season.

The Pelicans don’t have any of their first round picks from the past five years on their roster, with trades for DeMarcus Cousins and Nikola Mirotic being the main reasons why. They haven’t had success developing the players they have drafted, either.

This new approach might work best, where Carr can return to the Pelicans in the 2019-20 season as a more reliable, NBA-ready contributor.

Grade: B

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