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Orlando Magic Mock Draft Roundup: Past the (first) deadline

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Mar 9, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum (0) controls the ball against Louisville Cardinals guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half of an ACC Conference Tournament game at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sportsat Barclays Center.
Mar 9, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Jayson Tatum (0) controls the ball against Louisville Cardinals guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half of an ACC Conference Tournament game at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sportsat Barclays Center. /
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NBADraft.net (April 17)

5th Pick: Jayson Tatum (F/Duke)

Jayson Tatum will remain a popular pick for the Magic throughout the draft process. As described previously, there is no reason not to believe that.

Here is what NBADraft.net has to say about Tatum:

"6’8 smooth and versatile wing prospect … Good size, length, and fluidity for a wing. Uses size and length to shoot over defenders. Good half-court offensive game . . . A high-level athlete, but not a jump out of the gym freak … Lacks strength for physical play at higher levels but should add strength in time … Has the ability to make difficult shots but tends to settle for deep contested shots. Fades away at times when it’s unnecessary."

It will be interesting to see if Tatum’s stock rises anymore. He was a late riser into the top five as the year went on too. That could push Kansas Jayhawks forward Josh Jackson down. Tatum is more offensively developed than Jackson while Jackson is a better overall rebounder. Tatum has the all-important shooting edge.

Malik Monk also could be an option at this pick too. Monk is perhaps the best shooter in the draft, able to get hot from three and put up a ton of points extremely quickly.

Also look out for NC State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith. He is a notch below Fultz on the scoring point guard ladder.

25th Pick: Johnathan Motley (PF/Baylor)

Johnathan Motley is best described as a bull. He is big, hard to move and a workhorse on the glass and around the basket. He may not have a lot more to add to his game, but he knows how to throw his weight around and overpower smaller players.

Motley averaged 17.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game last year for the Baylor Bears. He had a 32-point, 20-rebound effort against Texas (see above) and 15 double-doubles. He was just a terror for the Big 12 in the post.

He had 19 points and 9 rebounds against Kansas and 26 points and six rebounds against Michigan State. Motley is not the kind of player who should be leading a team, as he had to for Baylor often, but he can work in the low post and become a vulture for boards and points.

Here is what NBADraft.net says about him:

"An extremely long, rangy big man with a versatile offensive game, Johnathan Motley has made the most of the opportunity as Baylor’s top dog after Taurean Prince has made the transition to the NBA. Measuring 6’9’’ in shoes, Motley sports a massive 7’3.5’’ wingspan and a 9’3’’ standing reach, which are both elite measurements for a power forward. He’s filled out nicely over the yeas as well, and weighs in at a strong 232 pounds (up about 30 lbs since his high school days). Motley also possesses great end to end speed, and the ability to really get out on the break. Johnathan has a really good mid range game, but in the spacing heavy NBA landscape of today, you’d like your stretch 4 to have 3 point range. His percentage this season is a very good .385%, but it’s on limited attempts (5-13) so it’s difficult to know if that’s an accurate representation of his range. Motley is surprisingly not a high level shot blocker, despite his great length."

Drafting Motley is drafting a backup undersized center in this NBA day and age. Corliss Williamson would actually be a perfect model for him as an undersized big. There is that player comparison to think about.

But Motley is going to have to work to overcome his lack of size as a center, his poor outside shooting as a power forward and his loss of a size advantage going up against bigger NBA forwards. A 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward does not buy what it used to in the NBA even.

Next: Orlando Magic Rumors: Orlando Magic intend to offer GM job to David Griffin

Depending on how his workouts go, the Magic could certainly pull the trigger on Motley here. Or they might be more willing to wait and see if he lasts into the early second round, where the Magic might have two picks coming their way in the first five picks.