Pelicans select Kira Lewis Jr. with No. 13 overall pick in 2020 NBA Draft

The New Orleans Pelicans had the 13th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and selected Alabama G Kira Lewis Jr. on Wednesday night virtually from ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. They’re loaded with young talent but imploded in the Orlando bubble last season. Can Lewis be a good fit alongside the blossoming stars in New Orleans?

The Pelicans will center their team around 2019 All-Star Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, who captivated the basketball world as a rookie with his unreal mix of size, strength, and athleticism. Ingram will likely receive a massive extension ahead of the 2020-21 season and Williamson is still on his rookie deal. Because of this, the Pelicans decided to trade G Jrue Holiday to the Bucks for Eric Bledsoe, George Hill and three draft picks, including the No. 24 pick in 2020. Lonzo Ball should become the Pelicans’ full-time starter at point guard with Bledsoe possibly playing off the ball in Holiday’s role. It could be difficult for a team with no veteran leadership and very little playoff experience to compete in the Western Conference.

First-round Pick Analysis

The Pelicans had reportedly been looking to deal this pick before taking Lewis. New Orleans also has a ton of guards on the roster, so this is an interesting choice. Bledsoe is under contract for the next three seasons. George Hill was just brought in, Lonzo Ball is still around and JJ Redick and Josh Hart have one year left on their deals. So it’s a very loaded backcourt. I could see the Pelicans looking to deal a guard at some point.

Lewis is a great PG prospect who can score the ball in the halfcourt and on the break. He’s got good size for a guard at 6’3” and played in a tough conference in the SEC. Lewis took a big step as a sophomore at Bama. He averaged 18.5 points per game and 5.2 assists while shooting over 50 percent on 2PT field goals. So he can shoot the 3 a bit, but will usually look to get to the basket.