New Orleans Pelicans select Jordan Hawkins in 2023 NBA Draft
The NBA loves winners. Thus, it’s no surprise the New Orleans Pelicans selected Jordan Hawkins with the No. 14 pick in the first round of the NBA Draft.
Hawkins is coming off a historic season for the UConn Huskies, highlighted by a national title. The sophomore guard averaged 16.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in the 2022-2023 season. Further, Hawkins shot 41% from the field and a spectacular 39.1% from beyond the arc.
Hawkins dropped 16 points and four rebounds while shooting 50% from deep in the NCAA National Championship against San Diego State. The 6-foot-5 prospect was the first UConn scoring champion in the Big East since Richard Hamilton in the 1998-1999 season. Additionally, Hawkins led the conference with 2.9 3-pointers made per game.
Hawkins was a four-star recruit and the No. 52 player in the nation in the Class of 2021, according to On3’s Industry Rankings. Although Hawkins wasn’t a top 50 player in the country, he was the No. 1 prospect from Maryland in his class.
Those familiar with Hawkins’ high school statistics shouldn’t be surprised. Hawkins averaged 19.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.9 blocks in his senior season at the legendary DeMatha Catholic program.
More impressively, Hawkins shot 63.6% from the field and .464 from three-point range to lead his team to an 11-0 record. Fittingly, the 21-year-old was named 2021 Gatorade Maryland Player of the Year. During the offseason, Hawkins played AAU for Team Durant under Coach Angel Hernandez.
What NBA Draft experts are saying about Jordan Hawkins
NBA experts seemingly believe the Big East isn’t the only place Hawkins can excel offensively.
“Hawkins profiles as a prototypical NBA two-guard who excels as a shooter thanks to his quick release, relentless off-ball movement and impressive mechanics. Hawkins shot nearly 50 percent on spot-up 3-pointers as a sophomore at UConn but is plenty comfortable pulling up off the dribble, as well,” according to NBA.com.
“At this point in his development, he’s a shoot-first player, though Hawkins upped his assist rate to 8.2% during his sophomore season. More than 63% of his field-goal attempts came from beyond the arc, and he drilled at least five 3-pointers seven times last season. Defensively, the rangy Hawkins may need to add weight to avoid being hunted in switch situations at the NBA level.”