NBA Draft: LaMelo Ball goes first in 2020 NBA Redraft

With Lonzo Ball a free agent (albeit restricted) in 2021 and Eric Bledsoe not a part of the New Orleans Pelicans’ long-term future, they took a shot on a replacement in the NBA Draft, taking former Alabama point guard Kira Lewis Jr. with the 13th pick.

This time around they have the same need, and Lewis not only projects as the best of the remaining point guards, he showed flashes of enough to make him a good value here. Lewis is blazing fast, ready to get out in the open court on a fast break and score or set up teammates. On a team also boasting Zion Williamson, maximizing transition opportunities is a no-brainer.

Lewis is not large, at just 6’1″, but he won’t turn 21 until the last couple of weeks of the regular season next season. His excellent free-throw shooting suggests he will grow as a shooter, and he has some verve as a playmaker setting his teammates up. He might prove to be too much of a defensive minus or inconsistent shooter to hang around, but he could also grow into the starting point guard on Zion Williamson’s future contending teams.