NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— The New Orleans Pelicans selected Dyson Daniels with the 8th overall draft pick Thursday night.
Daniels, the 19-year-old from Australia, played for the G-League Ignite last year. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 11.3 points and 5.1 assists per game, along with 7.1 rebounds and 2 steals per game.
He also played in the 2022 Rising Stars Challenge at the 2022 NBA All-Star Weekend, where he scored four points and two assists.
Daniels is an extremely athletic playmaker with a knack to find open teammates, which is something that will greatly benefit the Pelicans with high-powered stars such as Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Zion Williamson.
The guard says he is also not afraid of being physical as he played Australian Rules Football when he was younger before, ultimately deciding to focus solely on basketball.
The Pelicans acquired the 8th overall pick from the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade back in 2019. The Pelicans sent all-star big man Anthony Davis to the Pelicans in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, and three first-round draft picks, including the Lakers’ 4th overall selection in 2019.
Although the Pelicans finished the season with a losing record of 36-46, they managed to finish 9th in the Western Conference to qualify for the play-in tournament. The Pelicans defeated the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers to advance to the NBA Playoffs. The Pelicans would eventually lose to the Pheonix Suns in six games in the First Round of the NBA Playoffs.
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