Chicago Bulls: Re-drafting the 2019 NBA Draft 18 games into 2019-20

The New Orleans Pelicans struck a rather good amount of luck by landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery. They weren’t even close to one of the five teams with the best lottery odds to get the top overall pick. But that’s kind of what the NBA was going for with the flattening of the draft lottery odds. The goal was to prevent tanking, and that’s largely what they accomplished.

Moreover, the Pelicans got a potential once in a generation type talent by landing the former Duke Blue Devils freshman forward sensation Zion Williamson. With Williamson, the Pelicans were able to take full advantage of the haul they got from the Los Angeles Lakers that saw them send off superstar big man Anthony Davis.

And while Zion didn’t get to play in a single game for the Pelicans yet, the patience should be well worth it. There’s a good chance that he could still take home the Rookie of the Year honors despite missing more than one month already for his rookie campaign. No clear favorite for the honors emerged in the wake of his injury yet.

The reservations surrounding Zion have to do with the longevity of his body and health. He’s carrying a large frame with how fast and athletic he is and the knee troubles are already causing him to miss long stretches of time. He should be back next month and the Pelicans could gain steam in the playoff race with his push.