Orlando Magic must improve development of young players

For five years, the Orlando Magic have tried to build through the Draft and relying on young players. With few results, their development plan is stunted.

In the past five years, no team has had better draft positions than the Orlando Magic. Read that again.

Since Dwight Howard left in 2012, no team has been given more opportunities to improve with high picks. And while the Magic have never won the top prize and had only one top-three pick in that time, no team has seemingly done less with those opportunities.

The Magic have had five picks in the top 12 in the past four years (with one at 19 in 2012). That is more than any other team except the Sacramento Kings. What company.

In fairness, the Kings had five picks within the top 10 in this era. Then again, only one was in the top five (a number five pick in 2012), the Magic had three inside the top five. It is hard to say whether either team is better off for it.

Here is the full draft history for the past five years:

• 2012: No. 19 Andrew Nicholson
• 2013: No. 2 Victor Oladipo
• 2014: No. 4 Aaron Gordon
• 2014: No. 12 Dario Saric (traded for No. 10 Elfrid Payton)
• 2015: No. 5 Mario Hezonja
• 2016: No. 11 Domantas Sabonis (traded as part of the deal for Serge Ibaka)

It is quite a run that shows just how much the Magic have struggled on the court, how unlucky they have been in the Lottery — of the three top-five picks, the 2015 selection was the only time the Magic did not worsen their position thanks to the Lottery — and how poorly young players have developed.

You would be hard pressed to find a team with better opportunities in the last half decade. Yet here the Magic are, with the team in a worse place than it has been in the last two seasons. Despite all this luck, the Magic have cracked 40% winning percentage just once (last year at 42.7, good for 35 wins). To match that total this year, the Magic need to go 11-3 the rest of the way.

Despite all these opportunities, the Magic have cracked 40 percent winning percentage just once (last year at 42.7, good for 35 wins). To match that total this year, the Magic need to go 11-3 the rest of the way.

That is not likely to happen. Oorlando is again staring down a top-five pick and a wish for some Lottery luck to change the franchise’s course.

So why the lack (or complete reversal) of progress?

It’s simple: The Orlando Magic are one of the worst teams at developing talent in the entire NBA.