The Orlando Magic are looking at another Lottery pick. With the Final Four taking place, we took a look at the NBA Mock Drafts and who might come to Orlando.
Tonight, the basketball world will turn its attention to Houston and NRG Stadium for the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four. Oklahoma will take on Villanova and North Carolina will battle Syracuse with a trip to the national championship game Monday on the line.
There is plenty of intrigue and reason to watch the games for the games themselves. Three of the four teams had legitimate championship hopes entering the Tournament and were certainly favorites in most everyone’s brackets. And Syracuse made it here and has a chance just like everyone else, despite the number on their seed line.
There is plenty of intrigue though with the players involved too.
Buddy Hield has taken the Draft talk by storm with his scoring prowess in the NCAA Tournament, following a season where he put up gaudy scoring numbers. The senior guard has skyrocketed up draft boards and could very well be in the top five when things are all said and done.
Other NBA prospects in the Final Four include North Carolina center Brice Johnson — a super athletic, but undersized center who is good at blocking shots and grabbing rebounds — and Syracuse forward Michael Gibjne — a versatile wing player and good defender out of the Orange’s 2-3 zone.
Most of the draft prospects, in other words, have said their piece for game action before heading to the NBA Draft Combine in May.
There are still two weeks before Lottery odds are set. And there is still the NBA Draft Combine and the series of interviews that help teams sort out the Draft. And, of course, the Draft is a trading season and teams will get active talking to each other.
There will be a lot that happens between now and the Draft on June 23. Or even the Draft Lottery on May 17.
For now, with the college basketball season nearing its end, it is a good time to take a survey of who might be available when the Magic pick.
After Friday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Magic are slated to have the 10th best Lottery odds. Here is who the major mock drafts and draft sites have the Magic drafting:
Right now, it seems everyone pegs the Magic to take a center or power forward with their draft pick in the 10 range. The main debate remains at the top where Brandon Ingram and Ben Simmons are the clear top candidates but in some other order.
Where the Magic are picking, it looks like they will have several young big men to choose from. Whether Orlando actually wants to wait on Labissiere to develop or to take Poeltl or whomever is something that can be determined in the coming months.
The Magic will be doing their due diligence on the Draft picks for sure before making a decision.
Next: OMD Podcast: Talking about the future
For now, we can kick back and watch the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four some.