Pelicans Hope to Repeat No. 8 Draft Pick Success

The Pelicans' recent history of success at pick No. 8 in the draft can be valuable.

Terry Kimble | May 20, 2022

Pelicans Hope to Repeat No. 8 Draft Pick Success /

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New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in a unique situation. They just made it to the playoffs and put a deep scare in the No. 1 overall seed Phoenix Suns. The playoff success was accomplished without arguably their best player, Zion Williamson, not playing a single minute this year. Yet, they found themselves amid the draft lottery via the Anthony Davis trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.

By virtue of the Lakers' miserable season, the Lakers picked belonged to New Orleans. Once the dust settled Tuesday night, the Pelicans landed the 8th pick in the draft. They hope to strike gold like a couple of recent No. 8 picks have.

The Orlando Magic choose Franz Wagner out of the University of Michigan just last season with the 8th overall selection. Wagner started 79 games for Orlando, averaging 15 points, four rebounds, and nearly three assists a game. He is considered a cornerstone in Orlando's rebuilding process and was named for the NBA's rookie 1st team award.

In 2018 the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Colin Sexton at pick number 8. Sexton set the franchise rookie record for 3-pointers in a season. He also became the first rookie in NBA history to score at least 23 points in 7 straight games since Tim Duncan in 1998. Sexton made the All-Rookie 2nd team that season and has been steadily improving. His finest year came in 2021, when he averaged a career-high 24 points a game. Last season, Sexton suffered a knee injury but was considered a key member of the Cavaliers' future.

USATSI_18135009_168388561_lowres — Apr 22, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jaxson Hayes (10) is defended by Phoenix Suns forward Jae Crowder (99) in the first quarter of game three of the first round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

The Pelicans personally have had a recent No. 8 pick in Jaxson Hayes. Hayes' young career has had its moments and struggles early on. The Pelicans have a tough decision to make on his future upcoming, but at only 21 years old, Hayes surely has a lot of basketball to play in his career.

Other notable names in recent years at pick number 8 include Rudy Gay, Terrence Ross, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. These guys have carved out nice careers for themselves in different roles but have proved themselves more than valuable. If the Pelicans decide to keep that pick, there could be some potential value.

Could a player like AJ Griffin or Keegan Murray be available to draft at 8 for the Pelicans? If so, the beauty of the Pelicans' situation is that whoever is drafted does not need to play a huge role right away. They can sit, watch, and develop some before being counted on to have a major impact. This type of scenario does not usually happen with Top 10 picks. The Pelicans find themselves uniquely positioned to win now and in the future with the number 8 pick.

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