Potential Second Round Picks

There has been a lot of discussion that the Magic want to trade into the first round of Thursday’s night draft, but a trade into the second round would be much more likely. PG and PF seem to be the biggest needs come draft. With Anthony Johnson and Rafer Alston being very upset during the finals, there’s a good chance that neither player with be brought back. PF could become a huge need if Hedo Turkoglu does indeed bolt from Orlando to Portland, Sacramento or one of his other rumored destinations. Here’s a look at some of the guards in the draft that could be on the Magic’s second round radar.

Jermaine Taylor, SG, UCF
– Many Magic fans will love this since Taylor played for their hometown UFC Golden Knights, but SG doesn’t seem to be much of a need depth wise with Courtney Lee, Mickael Pietrus, and JJ Redick all under contract for next season. Of course, JJ is always one of the main pieces of trade bait that is discussed in the Magic rumor mills. Taylor is a very athletic player who can score at will. He has a very good shot and is incredible at drilling jumpers coming off of screens. He has a pretty big frame, but at 6’4 is a little undersized to play SG or SF in the NBA. Although athletic, he doesn’t have a great first step and probably could handle much ball handling duty in the pros.

Toney Douglas, PG, Florida State
– It was great being able to watch Toney Douglas over the last three years in person. He willed his team into the NCAA tournament, winning ACC Defensive Player of the year and barely losing out on ACC Player of the Year to North Carolina’s Ty Lawson. Douglas does have a major problem – he’s a combo guard, a SG in a PG’s body and is just 6’2. He is a good shooter and loves to push the ball. He is strong finisher at the rim and an excellent leader. He is a clutch shooter and an incredible defender. He plays the pick and roll game well. Like Taylor, he also lacks a very quick first step. He could wind up being a very good backup to Jameer Nelson and would probably be a player that the Magic wouldn’t pass up.

Nick Calathes, PG, Greece (Florida)
– Calathes is another local kid from Lake Howell High School in Winter Park, Florida. He attended Florida but recently signed a contract to go play in Greece. He is 6’5 and is a skilled scorer and PG. He is a very good shooter, but not very athletic. Despite his size, he is not a very good defender. He will probably not be in the NBA for another 2 years, so he may not be an option.

Darren Collison, PG, UCLA
– Collison is smart and extremely fast. He is a decent ball handler and had an excellent assist to turnover ratio. Collison is not a very good defender. He is a small player and opponents usually have their way with him. I think that the Magic would rather have a more aggressive defender backing up Jameer.

Patrick Mills, PG, St. Mary’s
– Mills was an excellent college player and is one of several St. Mary’s Guards from Austrailia. He was a good scorer, but is just 6’0 and sometimes struggles on defense but is good at getting into the passing lane. He is very good in the transition game because of his athleticism and speed. He is a decent ball handler but seem to be more of a SG then a PG. He can hit the three, but sometimes takes way too many. He sometimes shows extremely poor descision making and doesn’t have a good assist to turnover ratio. The Magic would probably rather have a more reliable and less turnover prone PG.

Some other potential picks (non-guards)

Jeff Adrian, PF, UConn
– He is the tough PF that the Magic lack, but is extremely undersized at just 6’6. He is an extremely strong player and plays bigger than he is. He is a good defender, but not on the perimeter. He’s not much of a scorer except for put-backs on offensive rebounds. Although undersize, the Magic need a tough, Charles Oakley-type of guy on this team. He could keep other players out of the lane and protect Dwight Howard.

Josh Heytvelt, PF, Gonzaga
– He is very athletic and a very good shooter. He has great range, but isn’t a very good back-to-the-basket player. He’s not a great passer or ball handler. He’s a decent rebounder and shot blocker. He has great size at 6’11, but has a drug history and the Magic are probably looking for a tougher player.

Taj Gibson, PF, USC
– Gibson is a pretty good athlete and has good touch. He has a good midrange jumper, which is something that the Magic could really use. He is very skinny and the Magic would to have a much stronger player at this position. He will probably be selected before the second round.