Orlando Magic Daily
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Where you pick in the NBA Draft matters

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Aaron Gordon (Arizona) poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number four overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Aaron Gordon (Arizona) poses for a photo with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number four overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 28, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan (left), first round draft pick Victor Oladipo, second round draft pick Romero Osby and head coach Jacque Vaughn (right) pose for a photo during a press conference at the Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 28, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan (left), first round draft pick Victor Oladipo, second round draft pick Romero Osby and head coach Jacque Vaughn (right) pose for a photo during a press conference at the Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports /

Sloppy seconds

Last Magic No. 2 Pick: Victor Oladipo (2013) — 0.046 WS/48
2014 No. 2 Pick: Jabari Parker — 0.088 WS/48
Last No. 2 Pick All Star: Kevin Durant (2007) — 0.207 WS/48
2015 Odds for Magic: 9.66%

The second pick in the Draft is usually the “other guy” the top overall team did not pick. Think the difficult decision Cleveland had last year between Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker. Or, if you can remember, the tough choice between Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley. Yes, that was a difficult choice.

And it is amazing how often that difficult choice turns into a disaster like Beasley did for the Heat.

Since the last No. 2 pick All Star was drafted, the second pick has seen Hasheem Thabeet taken over Stephen Curry and James Harden (this year’s two MVP frontrunners), Evan Turner was taken over DeMarcus Cousins, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was taken over Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal.

So far Oladipo has looked like a solid pick with the second overall pick. He might be the best player from the 2013 Draft, if not the second best depending on what Nerlens Noel does and becomes.

Maybe some of it is a player being disappointed with not being the top pick in the Draft. Yet, the second pick in the draft continues to be one of the biggest crapshoots of the Draft. And really he should not be.

Jabari Parker tore his ACL this year, but was having a solid rookie season, making for a second straight solid second overall selection after Oladipo.

This year seems to be another two-player draft with Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns as consensus top two guys. Each has their flaws and strengths. It will be interesting to see what happens with who ends up No. 2.

Next: The Jordan Pick