New Orleans Pelicans: 3 NBA draft prospects that could fall to 13
2. Saddiq Bey – Forward, Villanova
Like Nesmith, Bey is a scorer who could help the Pelicans straight from the start. He’s a 3-and-D wing who shot 45.1 percent from deep over thirty-one games in his sophomore season. He’s another player who could very well be available at 13 and is a perfect fit for what the Pelicans are in need of off the bench going into next season.
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3-point shooting is an area that the Pelicans will look to improve on through the draft and the fact that Bey is such an effective, versatile defender makes this a match made in heaven. The Pelicans are crying out for players that have the ability to better this team defensively in any way that they can, and Bey is a prospect who can guard just about any position efficiently, and should be able to help a team noticeably on the defensive end in his rookie year and will have time to progress his game to the next level in this developing team.
Bey won the Julius Erving Award, being recognized as the best collegiate small forward for the 2020 season and seems to be a low-risk selection at 13. Bey is the type of player that would be on the top of the Pelicans’ list to get through free agency in order to help this team progress. Selecting a player of Bey’s caliber in the first round would not only give them a top prospect but a player who could make a real impact off the bat, who would become an important piece to the rotation.