Orlando Magic Daily NBA Mock Draft Version 2.0: The picture becomes clearer
The NBA Draft Lottery is over and so it is time to update our NBA Mock Draft. There could be some changes at the top and for the Orlando Magic.
The NBA Draft Lottery has taken place. The NBA Draft Combine is finished.
The Magic are even close to hiring a coach. Reportedly, at least.
Things have changed since the last time Brett or I posted a mock draft. And Brett posted his just a week ago.
To review where we were, I posted my first run through the NBA Draft before the Lottery back on May 8, before the Combine. Brett posted his directly after the Lottery took place last week.
It appears time for me to update my Mock Draft now that the Lottery has taken place and teams have begun their scouting. Quite a bit has certainly changed, particularly with the Knicks falling out of the top 3. For me, their pick at No. 4 is really where the Draft is going to begin.
It looks legitimate they could go in a different direction than the anticipated D’Angelo Russell/Emmanuel Mudiay path. The triangle offense does not necessarily need a traditional point guard, after all.
And, of course, that decision comes immediately before the Magic make their decision.
As for the top of the Draft, the Timberwolves have a good decision to make between Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor. It may mean the end of Nikola Pekovic. But that is a good problem to have if you are any team — especially now with the core the Timberwolves are building.
The Magic? I still have Justise Winslow as No. 3 on my overall big board behind Okafor and Towns. But after him, things get sticky. In this mock draft, I go with Kristaps Porzingis, but that could easily be Willie Cauley-Stein or Mario Hezonja or a number of other players.
Karl-Anthony Towns. 1. player. 86. <p>Karl-Anthony Towns makes the most sense at the moment because of his versatility as both a power forward and center. For however long the Wolves keep Nikola Pekovic, Towns fits next to him. When he is gone, he will be ready to take over full time at either post position. Towns still has a little ways to go to be fully developed, but the wait will be worth it.</p>. PF/C. Kentucky
Duke. Jahlil Okafor. 2. player. 20. <p>If you cannot have one, the other is not so bad. What Towns currently lacks in refinement, Jahlil Okafor more than makes up for. Okafor is already a refined post player and the Lakers are going to want someone who can contribute immediately. Even with the No. 1 pick, I am sure the Lakers would prefer the present of Okafor to the future of Towns. This worked out well for them.</p>. PF/C
Ohio State. D'Angelo Russell. 3. player. 93. <p>The Philadelphia 76ers are back in the market for a point guard after trading Michael Carter-Williams and probably figured they would get the chance to find their guy in the Draft. Word is the Sixers have been high on Russell for a while. It is hard not to be with his shooting and passing ability. Russell probably plays more like a shooting guard than a true point guard, but his big assist games suggest he can learn very quickly.</p>. G
Duke. Justise Winslow. 4. player. 27. <p>Can you predict the Knicks? Emmanuel Mudiay seems to be the logical pick here, but the triangle offense does not traditionally need a point guard. So spending this pick on a point guard, even a combo guard seems a bit off to me. It would not surprise me if the Knicks went against the grain and took Winslow. He is a more proven shooter and defender who could fill a necessary need in Phil Jackson’s vision.</p>. SG/SF
Kristaps Porzingis. 5. player. 38. <p>Winslow is still number one on my board (after the obvious two). Kristaps Porzingis though is number two. And you can definitely persuade me to put Porzingis higher on my board. He is still really thin to play center or do much in the low post. But his shooting and athleticism provide a lot of promise. This is a guy who can contribute pretty quickly on the offensive end and with the right coaching be a great two-way player. There are plenty who think he has top pick potential.</p>. PF/C. Sevilla (Spain)
6. player. 67. <p>If Emmanuel Mudiay fell to the Kings at No. 6, it would be a perfect draft for them. They are in desperate need for a point guard to pair up with DeMarcus Cousins. They spent their free agency money on Darren Collison and that had mixed results as he could not stay healthy. I do not think anyone believes Collison is a long-term solution. With Cousins, Rudy Gay and Mudiay, this team looks scary on paper all of a sudden.</p>. PG/SG. Guangdong (China). Emmanuel Mudiay
73. <p>It is really hard to say what the Denver Nuggets are going to do with this pick. They do not yet have a coach and trading Ty Lawson and/or Kenneth Faried feels certain. This is a team in need of a complete rebuild. So taking Willie Cauley-Stein at this juncture seems silly. He is one dimensional. That is why a guy like Mario Hezonja fits more. Hezonja is solid offensively, able to create for himself and make open shots when given. A perfect type of player to start a rebuild with.</p>. SG/SF. Barcelona (Spain). Mario Hezonja. 7. player
<p>Stanley Johnson is not quite a stereotypical Stan Van Gundy player. He is not the pure shooter Van Gundy likely wants on the perimeter. But he was serviceable in his lone year at Arizona and can continue to improve. What would probably intrigue the Pistons more is his lock-down defensive ability. Johnson was probably the best on-ball defender at the college level. That usually translates well.</p>. SF. Arizona. Stanley Johnson. 8. player. 64
C. Kentucky. Willie Cauley-Stein. 9. player. 170. <p>One of my intermediate drafts had the Knicks taking Willie Cauley-Stein at No. 3. He could really go anywhere from that 3-10 range, even (I am sure the Miami Heat would love their crack at him). Cauley-Stein is ultimately a one-dimensional player. That one dimension is great defense and rim protection from the center position. That is very valuable. But a lot of these teams are not going to be drafting on need quite yet. They are looking to take the best player. And that does mean some more reliance on potential.</p>
SG. Kentucky. Devin Booker. 10. player. 110. <p>Devin Booker might be the best 3-point shooter in the entire Draft. He made 41.1 percent of his tries at Kentucky. And there is still some potential for growth to work off the dribble. It would have been interesting to see him in a more featured role at Kentucky as a sophomore. As things stand now, Booker has the shooting ability the Heat like in their guards and would be a good fit for a team looking to get back into the Playoff picture quickly.</p>
SF. Kansas. Kelly Oubre, Jr.. 11. player. 100. <div class=
It took Kelly Oubre a while to find his footing at Kansas before he began to show what he could really do. Here is a versatile and big small forward capable of playing defense and putting some points on the board. He will have to continue adding strength and building consistency. Normal things for a rookie. He fits the Pacers who may need a small forward to pair with Paul George or hold his place when necessary.
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11
Kelly Oubre, Jr.
SF, Kansas
It took Kelly Oubre a while to find his footing at Kansas before he began to show what he could really do. Here is a versatile and big small forward capable of playing defense and putting some points on the board. He will have to continue adding strength and building consistency. Normal things for a rookie. He fits the Pacers who may need a small forward to pair with Paul George or hold his place when necessary.