New Orleans Hornets

Per El Universal, a Venezuelan paper based out of Caracas, Greivis Vasquez is scheduled for minor surgery on both his ankles tomorrow. According to the report, Vasquez experienced some discomfort during the tail end of the season, and the procedure will remove loose particles from his ankles. The surgery will take place in Los Angeles, and the paper also reports that there's a 12-16 week recovery period on the table, putting Vasquez's participation in the FIBA Americas Championship in August in question. Quoth Vasquez: "I played with pain during the final weeks of the regular season. I understand that this is the right decision. [I] need to focus on my rehabilitation and return healthy. Hopefully be able to play in the FIBA Americas Championship FIBA although I know that will be determined by how [developed] my recovery." 2013-2014 is the last remaining year on Vasquez's current deal; he's slated to earn a tad over $2M.

Not too surprising a headline, that. Pro Basketball Draft suggests that's the direction Orlando might go with the second pick. While the team's current best player, Arron Afflalo, does play the off-guard, he could theoretically be moved over to small forward if the Magic elect to go with Ben McLemore. Trey Burke hasn't ranked near the top of mock drafts or overall big boards as frequently as McLemore, and so there'll be questions about whether Orlando feels comfortable taking him so high. Nonetheless, it'd make sense for them to address the backcourt in some capacity here, assuming Nerlens Noel is gone with the first pick. If they take Burke, Washington would appear likely to pass on McLemore as well, having drafted Bradley Beal with the third pick just a year ago. That'd leave McLemore to Charlotte presumably at #4, with two of Anthony Bennett, Victor Oladipo, and Otto Porter making it to Phoenix and New Orleans depending on who the Wizards select. On the other hand, if Orlando takes McLemore, Burke could slide a bit further down. Washington already has John Wall, and Kemba Walker came into his own for the Bobcats in 2012. Meanwhile, Goran Dragic has rattled off back-to-back great seasons, is ostensibly in the prime of his career at age 27, and signed a 4 year, $32M deal with the Suns last summer. We can't take either Charlotte or Phoenix passing on Burke as a sure thing, but Orlando selecting McLemore over Burke could plausibly create a very positive ripple effect for New Orleans.

Multiple reports from Venezuela indicate that New Orleans Pelicans point guard Greivis Vasquez will undergo a cleanup procedure on both ankles in the coming days. Loose material in his ankles bothered the guard as the season neared its close. One report says the recovery period is 12 to 16 weeks. Greivis Vásquez se operará mañana de sus dos tobillos, con el fin de removerle partículas sueltas en ambas zonas; el período de recuperación está considerado entre 12 a 16 semanas, por lo que el armador y capitán de Venezuela pudiera ausentarse para el Premundial que se efectuará en Caracas del 30 de agosto al 11 de septiembre próximo. This is news in Venezuela because this may affect his participation on the national team in FIBA play from August 30 through September 11. Vasquez had ankle injuries late this season and has had surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle just after he was drafted. His recovery time then is in line with that expected for this surgery. Vasquez is expected to have the surgery in the US, then travel to Venezuela at some point in his recovery. If the timeline holds, he’ll be ready for NBA training camp. The New Orleans Pelicans have yet to confirm this report, but we’ll keep you posted.

With the outcome of the draft lottery decided last night, Otto Porter seems very unlikely to end up in a Pelican jersey. Now, asides the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Washington Wizards are reported to be very interested in selecting the Hoya on June 27, 2013. Consequently, let's shift our attention today to Victor Oladipo. Bio Oladipo attended the highly regarded DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. Since it was a powerhouse, with many players going on to play for the college elite, Oladipo didn't become a starter until his senior year. In that final season, he averaged 11.9 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.6 blocks a game. Not surprisingly, he was rated rather low among high school shooting guards: 41st by Rivals, 39th by Scout and 53rd by ESPN. Regardless, due to his impressive motor and athleticism, he was still recruited by several notable schools including Notre Dame, Indiana and Xavier. Eventually, Indiana's persistence won out as Tom Crean saw a player he had to have on his roster: "When you coach a guy like Dwyane Wade, you're always looking for the next one, and you realize, they're not really out there, so you're out there looking for some of the same traits,'' Crean said of Oladipo earlier this year. "We saw that talent, that upside, the athleticism, how humble he is and how undervalued. There wasn't a doubt in our mind he was going to be a key recruit.'' Stats Victor Oladipo's first two years at Indiana were borderline mediocre and didn't scream - NBA prospect. In his sophomore campaign, he averaged 10.8 PPG, 5.3 REB, 2.0 AST. 1.3 STL, 0.6 BLK and 2.1 TOV. Both his PER (20.5) and TS% (.546) actually slipped from his freshman season. For whatever reason, besides FT%, his shooting efficiency dropped significantly, down 7% from 2 point range (52.3%) and a whole 10% from 3 point range (20.8%). However, many things came together for him in his junior season, where he averaged 13.6 PPG, 6.3 REB, 2.1 AST, 2.2 STL, 0.8 BLK and 2.3 TOV. His PER and TS% skyrocketed to 28.9 and .648 respectively. His 2FG% jumped to 64.4% and 3FG% to 44.1%. Skills Prototypical SG. Oladipo measures to be 6'4'', but more importantly, has a wing span of 6'9'' and weighs 213 pounds. Athleticism. At the NBA combine, Oladipo recorded an excellent vertical leap (33 inches) and a maximum vertical (42.5 inches). Additionally he fared very well on the agility tests, besting highly touted Ben McLemore. Lastly, he reportedly can benchpress 185 pounds 15 times. Defensive abilities. In his final year of college ball, Oladipo posted a 86.9 Defensive Rating, which were buoyed by his strong per 40 minutes rates in steals (3.1) and blocks (1.1). Intangibles. Many observers have credited Oladipo with an excellent motor and work ethic. Winning is a priority - back in high school, he agreed to come off the bench during his junior season. Overall Victor Oladipo, winner of the Sporting News Player of the Year and the NABC Defensive Player of the Year, is one of the top talents in the upcoming NBA draft. However, there remain several concerns that demonstrate, offensively, he isn't nearly as polished as say Otto Porter or Trey Burke. First, many wonder whether his efficient production is sustainable. It's already been mentioned above the dramatic improvement he displayed from his sophomore to junior season. However, few fail to take into account a decline in many of his numbers through the course of his breakout season, when the schedule usually strengthens: Split Value G MP FG FGA FG% 3P 3PA 3P% FT FTA FT% ORB DRB TRB AST STL BLK TOV PF PTS Month November 7 179 33 51 .647 4 13 .308 15 25 .600 14 21 35 10 15 3 12 19 85 December 7 194 41 59 .695 6 9 .667 17 22 .773 18 30 48 21 19 8 20 13 105 January 7 206 36 58 .621 8 12 .667 24 31 .774 23 19 42 18 18 5 16 21 104 February 7 203 35 61 .574 6 16 .375 25 30 .833 13 28 41 13 12 6 12

Mock Drafting this time of year is incredibly popular. The NBA Combine has concluded and now the exact order of the lottery has been determined. For those of you possibly living under a rock, luck was not in the Pelicans' favor. The first pick of the New Orleans Pelicans era will be the 6th selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, to be held at the Barclays Center on June 27th. Time, in the case of the numerous sports reporters, is of the essence. I have quickly created a table of nine different mock drafts. Later someone can add Chad Ford's if they would like below. Cleveland Cavaliers Orlando Magic Washington Wizards Charlotte Bobcats Phoenix Suns New Orleans Pelicans Draft Express Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Anthony Bennett Victor Oladipo Otto Porter Alex Len Jeff Goodman - CBS Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Anthony Bennett Alex Len Victor Oladipo Trey Burke Matt Moore - CBS Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Anthony Bennett Victor Oladipo Trey Burke Chris Mannix - SI Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke Steve Kyler - Hoopsworld Otto Porter Ben McLemore Nerlens Noel Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke WalterFootball.com Otto Porter Nerlens Noel Anthony Bennett Ben McLemore Victor Oladipo Trey Burke NBADraft.net Ben McLemore Nerlens Noel Otto Porter Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke NBA.com Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke Jonathan Tjarks - SBNation Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Anthony Bennett Alex Len Trey Burke Draft Express CBS Sports Sports Illustrated Hoopsworld Walter Football NBADraft.net NBA.com SB Nation It is overwhelmingly obvious that the most agreed upon selection is Trey Burke to New Orleans. More so even than Cleveland's #1 overall pick. I personally have a difficult time seeing any team ahead of the Pelicans selecting Alex Len, but Anthony Bennett seems more realistic. Note that in every single scenario Trey Burke is available, Draft Express has the Pelicans passing on Burke for Alex Len. No thank you. Something about seven footers with broken feet or ankles scares me off. Thanks to all these mock drafts I am becoming significantly more confident in the upcoming draft. The only potential damper would be if the Pelicans wasted a lottery pick last year on a potential point guard and have become to emotionally invested too cut bait. Oh... Mock Drafting this time of year is incredibly popular. The NBA Combine has concluded and now the exact order of the lottery has been determined. For those of you possibly living under a rock, luck was not in the Pelicans' favor. The first pick of the New Orleans Pelicans era will be the 6th selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, to be held at the Barclays Center on June 27th. Time, in the case of the numerous sports reporters, is of the essence. I have quickly created a table of nine different mock drafts. Later someone can add Chad Ford's if they would like below. Cleveland Cavaliers Orlando Magic Washington Wizards Charlotte Bobcats Phoenix Suns New Orleans Pelicans Draft Express Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Anthony Bennett Victor Oladipo Otto Porter Alex Len Jeff Goodman - CBS Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Anthony Bennett Alex Len Victor Oladipo Trey Burke Matt Moore - CBS Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Anthony Bennett Victor Oladipo Trey Burke Chris Mannix - SI Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke Steve Kyler - Hoopsworld Otto Porter Ben McLemore Nerlens Noel Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke WalterFootball.com Otto Porter Nerlens Noel Anthony Bennett Ben McLemore Victor Oladipo Trey Burke NBADraft.net Ben McLemore Nerlens Noel Otto Porter Victor Oladipo Anthony Bennett Trey Burke NBA.com Nerlens Noel Ben McLemore Otto Porter Victor Oladipo A

Less than 24 hours after the NBA draft lottery, various websites have released mock drafts. The sites appear to be split evenly on which player the New Orleans Pelicans might select with the sixth overall pick.

Our first mock draft this morning comes from the generally-reliable NBADraft.net - they have the top six as such: 1. Cleveland - Ben McLemore 2. Orlando - Nerlens Noel 3. Washington - Otto Porter 4. Charlotte - Victor Oladipo 5. Phoenix - Anthony Bennett 6. New Orleans - Trey Burke This mock is one of the few that has Cleveland selecting McLemore instead of Noel - something that isn't super-high probability, but is definitely possible. After that, Washington and Otto Porter seem like a good match, and Charlotte and Phoenix still appear to be huge wild cards. Rohan and I love Trey Burke, so this is heartening for us. The second mock draft comes from NBA.com and is a bit more conventional: 1. Cleveland - Nerlens Noel 2. Orlando - Ben McLemore 3. Washington - Otto Porter 4. Charlotte - Victor Oladipo 5. Phoenix - Anthony Bennett 6. New Orleans - Trey Burke This mock draft is almost exactly the same through the top six - the only change is to send Noel to Cleveland and send McLemore to Orlando. The unique thing about McLemore is that, although he is almost universally considered to be one of the top-2 prospects, he isn't a good fit with Cleveland or Orlando. Cleveland just drafted Dion Waiters and seems unlikely to want to pull the plug on him too soon. Orlando has Arron Afflalo at SG, one of the two decent players on the team. For the first time in years, it might make sense for one of the top two teams to consider trading their picks.

We'll be updating this periodically with new mock drafts as they're released - if you see any we haven't, drop links in the comments. With the draft order officially set last night, it's time to get more specific with our Pelicans draft board and overall mock draft in general. Draft Express has a mock updated for last night's lottery available here, with explanations of the selections available here. DX's top 6 goes thusly: 1. Cleveland - Nerlens Noel2. Orlando - Ben McLemore3. Washington - Anthony Bennett4. Charlotte - Victor Oladipo5. Phoenix - Otto Porter6. New Orleans - Alex Len Orlando, Charlotte, and Phoenix, it appears could go in any possible direction, which makes planning for the 6th pick rather difficult. As Jon Givony writes about Orlando: Trey Burke, Anthony Bennett, Otto Porter and others will get looks here as well, as its unlikely that we'll have much of a definitive inclination of what the Magic will do with this pick until much closer to draft day. Of that group, I love Burke, and I hate Bennett. But for at least a few more weeks, we won't know how the teams above us feel about them.

In celebration of this being the last time a Pelicans fan care this deeply about the Draft Lottery, how about we document our entire day leading up to the big event? (spoiler alert: Turns out it wasn’t big at all). My mood at the start of the party is “neutral”. 12:23am: Bedtime. I try my best to fall asleep at exactly 23 (Anthony Davis) but Draft Lottery Eve in sixth in “Most Exciting Eves” after New Year’s Eve, Season Opener Eve, X-mas Eve, Eve, Eve(n) Flow, so it’s not that easy. 10:30am: Wake up feeling like however many hours I slept is going to be the pick we end up getting. Panic sets in because how did I sleep for ten straight hours and also how are we getting the tenth pick. What a nightmare. 11:15am: How many times can I press “replay lottery” on Chad Ford’s toy website? Whatever it is, multiply it times ten and that’s how many times I did it last year. Multiply that times fifty and that’s how many times Charlotte Bobnets fans are going to be doing it for the next three years. 12:45pm: Man walking by my house has a flatop. We’re ending up with Nerlens Noel, I know it. 1:19pm: My old friend Trey Martino clicks the like button on something I said on Facebook. We’re ending up with Trey Burke. It’s a sign. 1:48pm: Someone asks me what my favorite steak is and I say “I don’t know, I guess a porterhouse”. Not even realizing what I’ve done. We’re ending up with Otto Porter. 2:55pm: Rewatch my 2010 NBA Draft Lottery “shrine” Youtube video. It’s terrible and produced terrible results. Decide against making a shrine for tonight. 4:20pm: Len’s “Steal my Sunshine” comes on the radio and then again on my iPod shuffle. We’re ending up with Alex Len. Also, why is Len’s “Steal my Sunshine” on my iPod shuffle. 6:45pm: On NBA Countdown, Kevin Love explains how he has a Ricky Rubio action figure for good luck but fails to mention how he can’t wait to demand a trade out of Minnesota. 7:00pm: David Stern is being interviewed about his final NBA Draft Lottery. He’s asked what he thinks are the “biggest marks” of his career. Clearly it’s saving New Orleans. Mark my words – we’re throwing a David Stern Appreciation Party at All-Star Weekend 2014. Will he show up? I don’t know. Will we hire a David Stern look-a-like regardless? Probably. 7:09pm: Heading over to Tracey’s for the Bourbon Street Shots party. I see Jake Madison and Mason Ginsberg first and they are surrounded by models and are wearing big shiny jewelry. I’m assuming the Range Rover parked out front taking up multiple parking spaces (in a badass way, not a dickhead way) belongs to one of them. People preparing for the most exciting unexciting event in all of sports. 7:12pm: Since when did they allow college players to this thing? Our boy Anthony Davis is surrounded by these young pups, being the life of the party. They’re probably all like “Anthony, what is it like to be playing for a team with a name that actually makes sense? Pelicans is perfect for a New Orleans sports team.” I feel you, rookies. 7:14pm: Everyone has hot wing sauce on their hands and face. I still shake hands because that’s the way I operate. Also, I choose this column to let everyone know about the red disaster on all of their faces as opposed to speaking up when they can look me in the eyes. Some of you probably still have sauce on your face. 7:30pm: Here we go! Draft Lottery is starting! Wait, nevermind. This table was reserved for the arch rivals of our site, Royal Street Blocks, but they never showed. 7:34pm: Bennett is being interviewed and behind him are giant ping pong balls with NBA team logos on them. Logos included are: Bulls, Nets, Nuggets, Warriors and Rockets, none of whom are in the lottery. When the camera pans you see Pacers, Lakers, Clippers, Grizzlies. The world wants to see more of that sweet fierce bird, ESPN! Give it to them! 7:38pm: Hasn’t started yet. But I bet it will in a minute! 7:40pm: Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose rel

With the draft order officially set last night, it's time to get more specific with our Pelicans draft board and overall mock draft in general. Draft Express has a mock updated for last night's lottery available here, with explanations of the selections available here. DX's top 6 goes thusly: 1. Cleveland - Nerlens Noel2. Orlando - Ben McLemore3. Washington - Anthony Bennett4. Charlotte - Victor Oladipo5. Phoenix - Otto Porter6. New Orleans - Alex Len Orlando, Charlotte, and Phoenix, it appears could go in any possible direction, which makes planning for the 6th pick rather difficult. As Jon Givony writes about Orlando: Trey Burke, Anthony Bennett, Otto Porter and others will get looks here as well, as its unlikely that we'll have much of a definitive inclination of what the Magic will do with this pick until much closer to draft day. Of that group, I love Burke, and I hate Bennett. But for at least a few more weeks, we won't know how the teams above us feel about them.