Orlando Magic Duke Scouting: Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow
The Orlando Magic will be watching the Duke Blue Devils closely given that the Blue Devils have two prospects which can benefit it.
Duke center Jahlil Okafor can get buckets—flat out. The Duke Blue Devils averaged 80.6 points per game while knocking down over 50 percent from the field, running one of the most efficient yet offenses while drawing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Blue Devils assist 15.5 times per game and also take care of the boards, largely due to his commanding of double and triple teams, which he passed out of with poise and skill.
(5) Utah vs. (1) Duke
Time: 9:45 PM ET
TV: CBS
It is a winning formula, but Duke still has a tough climb to get to the Final Four this year. Moreover, coach Mike Krzyzewski and the Devils fell in the ACC tournament to then-No. 11 ranked Notre Dame (now an Elite Eight team after Thursday’s win over Wichita State).
In the loss, Duke allowed Notre Dame to shoot 50 percent from the floor and also gave up 25 free throws, which Notre Dame fully took advantage of, hitting 22.
Even though Duke held a plus-7 edge on the boards, no one outside of Jahlil Okafor really did very well. Okafor shot 13 of 18 from the floor for 28 points, while collecting eight rebounds and swatting a couple shots. If nothing else, Okafor’s skills on the blocks will be enough to carry Duke deep in this tournament.
If the Devils advance, they will face winner No. 11-seed UCLA and No. 2-seed Gonzaga.
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Krzyzewski and his squadron won by 29 points over Robert Morris, covering the 22.5-point spread set by college basketball oddsmakers. Coach K unsurprisingly rested Jahlil Okafor about half the game, but that did not stop the freshman from amassing 21 points in 21 minutes, missing just two of his 11 field goal attempts. Duke led by 17 at the half, and cruised throughout the second.
Duke then went on to defeat San Diego State by a healthy margin of 19 points.
Okafor hit 12 of 16 from the field for 26 points and was by all means dominant. He is going to thrive at the next level, but the Magic stand far less than a coin flip chance at obtaining him, which means general manager Rob Hennigan may again be racing to find an answer to the starting power forward role.
Orlando does not have to be a superstar, but selecting Okafor and dealing Nikola Vucevic would create a better lineup. That is a good problem to have though.
It would be most peculiar draft picks and a useful youngster are included in the deal. In other words, pick swapping a top-5 pick makes little sense, and this year’s draft will not be devoid of talent, by any means. Sometimes it is the least hyped drafts that are the best, though there is no question that teams can be built around Okafor.
His teammate Justise Winslow has also been very good this year, and he is going to succeed at the next level, if only because he is very athletic.
He finished well (unlike Maurice Harkless, though he is improving) and he excels at defending on the ball. He can moonlight at point guard should Elfrid Payton get in foul trouble or suffer an injury. The 6-foot-6 swingman is a natural basketball player.
Winslow has drawn a comparison to Wilson Chandler, which is no small praise as Chandler’s career has gone largely unnoticed, despite being a very good player.