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"In my first column aimed at helping the Pelicans take flight, I built a team the New Orleans Saints would be proud of \u2013 a fast-paced group focused on scoring.Given that Pelicans head coach Monty Williams wants to be balanced on offense and defense, this team would never be able to take flight.In my second installment I went overseas and discussed why\u00A0Pels fans should embrace the international men of mystery.In this column, we'll discuss\u00A0why\u00A0Pelicans general manager Dell\u00A0Demps wants nothing to do with the\u00A0No. 1 overall pick in 2013.The NBA Draft Lottery is Tuesday night (May 21) in New York City.The newly named Pelicans have an 8.8 percent chance of landing the No. 1 overall selection.\u00A0Most believe that obtaining the No. 1 overall pick means our city\u2019s NBA franchise can acquire a player on par with\u00A0last year's No. 1 overall choice, Anthony Davis.Most would be wrong.Unlike last season when Davis was universally considered the No. 1 pick,\u00A0no player\u00A0stands out this year at No. 1.Many experts compare this\u00A0year's draft to the 2011 NBA draft.\u00A0In 2011, no one was sure who'd be the first overall pick.\u00A0 The Cleveland Cavaliers were the team picking first and made a wise choice, Duke\u00A0point guard Kyrie Irving.\u00A0Looking back, Irving was a terrific selection, but he played in only 11 games in his only college season due to injury.\u00A0Irving was a risky pick.The third overall pick in 2011 was\u00A0Enes\u00A0Kanter \u2013 who played in zero games for the University of Kentucky that season.I remember covering the 2011 draft and hearing one analyst say \"No one wants the No. 1 pick. It's a total guessing game this year.\"To prove how crazy the 2011 NBA draft was \u2013 besides Irving, the best players, so far, from that class are:Klay\u00A0Thompson \u2013 11th overall to Golden StateKawhi\u00A0Leonard \u2013 15th overall to Indiana (traded to San Antonio)Nikola\u00A0Vucevic \u2013 16th overall to Philadelphia (traded to Orlando)Kenneth\u00A0Faried \u2013 22nd overall to DenverChandler Parsons \u2013 38th overall to HoustonThe 2011 draft produced solid talent, like the players listed above, but after Irving at No. 1, no true \"franchise savior.\"\u00A02013 is another guessing game for NBA general managers.\u00A0The class of 2013 is a group that will most likely produce some very solid NBA starters, but very few if any\u00A0\"franchise saviors.\"Right now, most mock drafts have former University of Kentucky big man\u00A0Nerlens Noel going No. 1 overall.\u00A0While no one questions that Noel has \"upside,\" he hasn't played since February when he tore his ACL.\u00A0The 6 foot 11 inch power forward/center won't play until January of 2014 due to his\u00A0rehabilitation from the injury, and Noel weighed only 205 pounds at the Chicago draft combine last week (very skinny for a big man in the NBA).Noel\u00A0going No. 1 overall is a huge risk for the team selecting him.The same mock drafts that have Noel going No. 1 have former University of Kansas shooter Ben McLemore going second overall.Like\u00A0Noel, McLemore oozes \"upside.\" One of the best shooters in college basketball last season, McLemore vanished in the NCAA Tournament, and some question what kind of defender he'll be in the NBA.So if I'm Pelicans general manager Dell\u00A0Demps, I'm hoping the lottery balls don't fall my way on Tuesday evening.The odds of Dell finding another Anthony Davis,\u00A0another \"franchise savior,\" with the first or second pick (which is what owner Tom Benson and fans will expect) are very,\u00A0very slim.The odds of another team wanting to trade up and acquire the No. 1 pick are also miniscule. Plus, getting equal worth back from a team\u00A0interested in moving up would be difficult.If I'm Demps, I want to pick either third, fifth or sixth (the Pelicans cannot pick fourth overall).There would be less pressure to pick a boom or bust player if the\u00A0Pels fall into one of these three slots.\u00A0Demps\u00A0can also trade down and acquire more assets using the third, fifth or sixth selection if he so chooses.Let\u2019s assume the Pelicans are picking third, fifth or sixth.\u00A0\u00A0Below is our\u00A0WDSU Big Board, the three players, in order, whom we'd target in the 2013 NBA Draft:1. Michael Carter-Williams/Point Guard/Syracuse UniversityYes, I'd pick\u00A0MCW over University of Michigan point guard Trey Burke.\u00A0 While I'm a fan of Burke and I understand his heroics in the NCAA Tournament are legendary, I think Carter-Williams will be the better pro.MCW\u00A0checked-in at 6 feet 5 inches at the NBA combine.Carter-Williams should be a force defensively and has huge upside on offense.\u00A0MCW led the nation in assists and has a developing shot.\u00A0In the right system, I think Carter-Williams can become an All-Star caliber point guard.\u00A0I know Dell\u00A0Demps and Monty Williams want players who can play on both sides of the floor, and Carter-Williams can absolutely do that.\u00A0Interview with Michael Carter-Williams2. Otto Porter/ Small Forward/Georgetown UniversityI've loved Porter all season.\u00A0I was touting him as a possible pick for the Pelicans back in December. If the\u00A0Pels pick third and Porter is still on the board, this is a very easy selection for Dell and Monty.While he may never become an All Star, Porter is a do-it-all wing who should start in the NBA for a decade.Truth be told, it was a difficult decision choosing between Porter and Croatian sensation Dario Saric.\u00A0I've watched endless amounts of video and listened to every interview\u00A0Saric has done in English, and I really like him.\u00A0But,\u00A0Saric is a huge risk, huge reward type of player.\u00A0Porter is a much safer bet.\u00A0Interview with Otto Porter3. Victor Oladipo/Shooting Guard/Indiana UniversitySome people are saying\u00A0Oladipo could be the next\u00A0Dwyane Wade.\u00A0I think he could also be Thabo Sefolosha.\u00A0In reality, he probably falls somewhere in between.\u00A0\u00A0Oladipo\u00A0is a tenacious defender who can get to the rim. If his outside shot were more dependable he'd be the No. 1 overall pick.I almost went with Russian shooter Sergey\u00A0Karasev over\u00A0Oladipo, because I know Monty needs more shooters and\u00A0Karasev has such a sweet stroke.\u00A0I think\u00A0Karasev is a much safer pick than a player like Dario\u00A0Saric and would be a good addition in New Orleans \u2013 but overall\u00A0Oladipo fits the mold of what the Pelicans are looking for \u2013 a guy who gets it done on both ends of the floor.Interview with Victor OladipoThe one thing I love about all three of these players is their makeup.Carter-Williams, Porter and\u00A0Oladipo are all classy, smart winners who can help change the culture of the Pelicans.Dells\u00A0Demps and Monty Williams talk about bringing in the right type of guys.\u00A0Players who are selfless, work hard, buy into what the franchise\u00A0is trying to do and understand that team comes first and\u00A0sacrifice will be needed to help\u00A0turn around this small market club are the only guys who'll be around to see the Pelicans take flight.\u00A0With players like\u00A0Ryan Anderson, Anthony Davis, Jason Smith,\u00A0Greivis Vasquez and Austin Rivers, the Pelicans are on their way, but more guys willing to \"grind\" are needed.\u00A0 Let's hope the Pelicans find that guy in the 2013 draft.Related content:Anthony Davis near-unanimous All-Rookie First-Team selectionPelicans G Gordon has ankle surgery"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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