Jakob Poeltl, Utah
Also on the center front, Jakob Poeltl is another interesting center prospect who could come a little more NBA ready than the other players at this position, but without some of the upside to develop much farther.
Poeltl though took a huge leap forward as a sophomore and won Pac-12 Player of the Year after averaging 17.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game last year for the Utes.
As Kyle Williams wrote yesterday in highlighting the Magic’s draft needs, Poeltl seems to fit exactly what the Magic would look for as a center. He is a polished offensive player and every bit the length of his 7-foot-1 body. Think a bigger Nikola Vucevic in many ways.
Different in maybe one important way though — Poeltl long arms and size do make him a better rim protector. But there are definitely still some questions about whether he can be a consistent defender at the NBA level. He may be limited at that Nikola Vucevic level of flirting with stardom, but ultimately limited as a player overall.
As a backup center, Poeltl likely is a solid option. is size and comfort with the ball when he gets it should help. But he may not be ready to attack the best centers in the league and make a very large impact.
In an interview, the Magic will learn just who he is and what areas of his game he thinks he needs to grow. They likely can quiz him on basketball information and how he thinks on defense.
Orlando could learn a lot from 30 minutes with him before bringing him in for a workout.
Next: Jaylen Brown