Pelicans select Jordan Bone with No. 57 pick, reportedly heading to Pistons
With the No. 57 pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans selected Tennessee point guard Jordan Bone. The pick will reportedly head to the Detroit Pistons via the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks.
Bone had an instrumental role in helping the Volunteers climb atop the AP poll for the first time in 11 years and reach their first Sweet 16 since 2014. He has started at the point since his freshman year and took a big jump offensively this past season. He averaged career highs in points (13.5), assists (5.8), field-goal percentage (46.5), and two-point field-goal percentage (52.5) en route to earning second-team All-SEC honors.
The 21-year-old turned heads at the NBA combine, posting the top times in the shuttle run and lane agility drills while soaring to the second-highest max vertical leap. Bone's athleticism is unmatched by most point guards in this year's draft, but he'll need more than that to succeed at the next level.
Bio
Position: PG
School: Tennessee
College experience: Junior
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 179 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-3
Max vertical: 42.5 inches
What the analysts are saying
- "Few point guards possess the athleticism and physical tools of Bone, but the problem is that he just often doesn't make the right decision with the ball. He takes the occasional bad shot, or throws away the rough turnover." - The Athletic's Sam Vecenie
- "Bone has real chops as a floor leader and probably deserves more credit for Tennessee's run this season. He's extremely athletic, has a good feel for where the ball needs to go, and could end up making an impact off someone's bench, though he'll have to keep proving himself." - Sports Illustrated's Jeremy Woo