Ivan Rabb was billed as high as a lottery pick prior to the 2016 NBA draft, but a faltering sophomore season and concerns about his perimeter game have caused him to slip — potentially putting him in play for the New Orleans Pelicans at the 40th pick overall.
Around a decade ago, Rabb would have been all the rage like Tyrus Thomas or Brandan Wright, but today’s era and style of game have shifted the thinking away from traditional power forwards. To be sure, the Pelicans already have a couple of premier big men in Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins and Cheick Diallo progressing nicely in the wings, yet when selecting in the second round, it sometimes just becomes a matter of getting a talent that will even stick at the NBA level.