The Orlando Magic may have missed out on a top-three pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, but there are some major names to have been selected fifth overall.
The Magic received the fifth pick in the NBA draft, but so much is made of draft order that people are prone to forget some legendary talent can be snagged in the mid-lottery. John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com lays it out in a simple tweet:
Great list on http://t.co/ZQ4kunZqXM of best No. 5 picks. A few: Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, KG, Ray Allen, Vince Carter & @DwyaneWade
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) May 20, 2015
How good has the fifth pick treated teams in the past? As John Denton noted, very well.
Of the best No. 5 overalls the list includes Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Vince Carter and Dwyane Wade. Two of these talents are already in the Hall of Fame, while the remaining four are all but certain to be, as well.
That is to say, the Magic may be able to draft a Hall of Fame talent at the fifth pick. Most are reticent to project any rookie to that level, but the one who most fits the bill is likely Justise Winslow of Duke. Winslow is thought to have the kind of talent to become a No. 1 option and he has drawn a comparison to James Harden on NBADraft.net.
The comparison is to be taken lightly: Winslow is leaps and bounds over even Harden’s best defensive effort. He also will be able to get to the line much like Harden, though his ability to finish through contact will need some work.
Much like Garnett, Winslow enters the league young as another one-and-done talent (Garnett of course came straight from high school before the rule change). He is rather NBA-ready for a guy who spent just one year in the NCAA. Defensively, he may even measure up to Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen.
Yes, that is a high billing to live up to.
Pippen made the Greatest 50 players at the NBA’s 50th anniversary, so to expect Winslow to elevate himself to that kind of legendary level may be an unfair expectation.
But the point Denton makes is the best talents in any given draft can be obtained outside the most coveted picks, outside the top-three.
The Magic are fortunate this draft goes seven or eight deep, in terms of featuring talents who could evolve into major contributors. Kristaps Porzingis, Stanley Johnson and Mario Hezonja all are talents who could be the best in the draft, too. While most are focusing on Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor, several of the talents in their immense shadows could easily turn out better.
Winslow captured the nation’s attention in Duke’s NCAA title run, and he could do the same at the NBA level if he helped transform Orlando into a contender. The expectations for Winslow are high.
Guys with immense athleticism are the ones GMs tend to key in on, and the fact Winslow is rated the fifth best prospect in many mocks bodes well for obtaining a player whose upside could render him not just an All-Star but a Hall of Famer.
As seen, dating back to the 1988 draft with Pippen, major talents can emerge from that slot. If the Magic nabbed Winslow and he became what any of the aforementioned talents did, this pick would be a colossal grand slam. Let’s just hope for that.