2015 NBA Draft: Is Sam Dekker a better fit than we may realize?

Could Sam Dekker make a nice fit in Orlando in the 2015 NBA Draft?

March Madness gave rise to a lot of insights for those prospect hunting. Amid all the hoopla, it might be Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker who provides the best fit for the Orlando Magic, a team in need of plus defenders and guys who can seamlessly slide into a lineup always receptive to more high-effort talents.

Dekker is a unique talent, and the player comparisons began in full as the Wisconsin Badgers reached the NCAA championship game behind the play of both he and seven-foot stretch-5 Frank Kaminsky.

While Kaminsky often stole the show, it is Dekker whose pro prospects might rank higher with NBA scouts. And there is a lot to be enamored with, a player whose high basketball IQ perfectly accommodates a skill set that lends itself to being a great combo forward at the next level.

Dekker brings some unique skills to the basketball court, and for those aware of what he brings beyond his statistical measures, the underlying factors of Dekker’s development prove more interesting still.

He is a very long 6-foot-9 whose defensive talents and ability to put it on the court have a throwback feel to it. Dekker is in the mold of a Detlef Schrempf or Derrick McKey, a rangy athlete whose natural feel for the game mitigates any seeming mismatches on the perimeter. He is a true combo forward, not a tweener.

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Throughout the Badgers run, Dekker showed an aptitude and willingness for embracing big plays. He functions well as a spot-up shooter, but his quick first step should give him a deceptive advantage at the next level.

He is good in the mid-range, and it is hard to imagine him having any less success than the likes of Chandler Parsons, given his perceptiveness and uncanny ability for exploiting holes in defenses, whether it be by creeping backdoor or sneaking onto the offensive glass.

Sam is a deceptively good athlete. Those seeking to make comparisons lacking the acuity of time may see him as just another non-athlete from the Big Ten designed for college success, but not built to thrive at the next level.

There is that school of thought, but it is likely wrong. Dekker may have taken a back seat to Frank Kaminsky quite often, but it was his angle-jarring play that kept defenses on their respective heels, and Dekker is adept at creating for teammates.

Much unlike the majority of the Orlando Magic’s current roster, Dekker is a talent that does enhance the abilities of teammates.

Truly, the glue-guy label would not be misapplied, but it would be inaccurate nonetheless: he can be a star in stretches — and he can be heavily relied upon. He is a top-tier role player, in other words, much like the aforementioned careers of both McKey and Schrempf.

Third options that can relish the role of taking key shots are what characterize the careers of a strong role player. He is under no illusion that he would have the ball in his hands the majority of the game. The Magic saw such play from Horace Grant during the Shaquille O’Neal years. These guys win Playoff series.

The days of long, rangy forwards whose best talents lend themselves to being defensive pests may have seemed to pass. Andrei Kirilenko put together a short but brilliant prime together with the Utah Jazz in much the same fashion that Dekker could some day impact the NBA.

While AK-47 may never have garnered the appellations that befit his skill-set, it may not matter if the Magic or another team selecting in the late lottery is able to reel in a versatile swingman like Dekker.

In certain lineups, the Magic could play a very small lineup with Dekker at the 4-spot and Evan Fournier at the 3. There are a lot of reasons to think that his court stretching combined with his toughness would render the Magic a more dangerous team with more flexible rotations.

A lot of the focus in this draft has zoned in on solving a big issue: landing the Magic a franchise, star talent.

It is still difficult to call Victor Oladipo, Tobias Harris or Nikola Vucevic the kind of lead scorer needed to drive a playoff team. And to be clear: Dekker is not that either.

That is why fans may be quick to dismiss hitting yet another “single” or “double” than driving for the fences in a draft that really only has two major talents, both centers (Jahlil Okafor and Karl Anthony Towns).

Tobias Harris will have his cost, and it is debatable as to whether giving him the extension even guarantees his position as the forward of the future. It could just be a perfunctory move in maximizing the talent of the roster for future wheeling. Dekker could end up being the guy, while Harris lingers in front of him starting for a season, give or take.

And of course, the Magic could still make its biggest splash in the free agent market, and with some of the best options appearing to be guys like Dekker projected to go in the 8 to 12 range, it may not matter if the Magic are the possessors of the No. 5 overall pick.

Dekker is one player among a handful that may prove to be worth trading down for.

Next: Victor Oladipo is seeking the defense's respect for his improving jumper