Even at 19 or 20 years of age, highly-drafted NBA players normally face little resistance in their pursuit of playing time, with the teams that chose them eager to get young talent on the court as quickly as possible. However, that isn’t the case for the New Orleans Pelicans. Even if a prospect is picked in the lottery or first round, the team’s youngsters are forced to earn minutes.
For players like Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 22, Jaxson Hayes, 20, and 19-year-old rookie Kira Lewis Jr., that means some of their biggest opportunities early in 2020-21 have come in practice gyms, not NBA arenas.