The NBA Draft Combine will get into full swing Thursday with the agility drills and measurements. Here are five players the Orlando Magic should watch.
NBA coaches and executives have congregated in Chicago this week for the annual NBA Draft Combine.
Sixty-seven draft prospects will participate in various physical measurements, drills and 5-on-5 scrimmages in the next few days. Not all of them will actually. Several of the top prospects will only go through the basic measurements (if that) and sit-down interviews with the teams in attendance.
The 30-minute speed interview is likely to be the most important part of the process for several players and for the teams themselves. In large part, this is the first opportunity for the teams to interact with the individual prospects personally.
And even with that, many of the top prospects will not be in attendance. Only Markelle Fultz and De’Aaron Fox will be in Chicago and they are likely only doing measurements and interviews. They will not even break a sweat on the floor.
Other top prospects like Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum, Dennis Smith, Jr. and Malik Monk will not attend the Combine. Teams will have to schedule individual workouts with them in the coming weeks.
Still, there is a lot of information to gather. And that might actually benefit the Orlando Magic as they put their focus on their other draft picks.
The Magic potentially have four picks in the upcoming NBA Draft and have a lot of homework to do. The Draft Combine represents another piece of the puzzle for the team in making a decision on the draft. There is a lot of information to process and a lot to get through in the coming days as the Draft comes into closer focus.
Orlando Magic
The Magic will send a fairly large contingent to the NBA Draft Combine. According to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, the team will send coach Frank Vogel, interim general manager Matt Lloyd, assistant coach Chad Forcier, scouts Harold Ellis, Prosper Karangwa and Anthony Parker and basketball operations manager George Rodman. They will all be putting their work in for the next few days reviewing prospects’ information and skills and conducting these initial job interviews.
As I noted yesterday, what happens on the court in the drills and scrimmages is as important as what happens in the 30-minutes interviews the team will conduct with the various prospects. But every bit of information will be telling. Orlando will want to get a close eye on several players.
With so few of the top prospects attending the Combine, the Magic are most likely focusing their attention on picks later in the draft throughout the Combine. Assuredly, they will try to get their time with Fultz and Fox. But most of their time will be spent on guys they could take at 25, 35 or 33 (if they get that pick).
At this point, everyone should know most of the strengths and weaknesses of the top guys in the Draft should the Magic win the Lottery. With the focus on the end of the first round, here are five players to keep tabs on at the NBA Draft Combine.
With the focus on the end of the first round, here are five players to keep tabs on at the NBA Draft Combine.
Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State
Every time we have discussed the Magic’s second first-round pick (acquired from the Toronto Raptors in the Serge Ibaka trade), the conversation always seems to turn toward the sophomore point guard from Oklahoma State.
Watching Evans on tape is certainly pretty impressive. He has an explosive first step and can get to the basket pretty easily. His scoring acumen, especially this year, was impressive.
Evans finished this year averaging 19.2 points per game and 6.4 assists per game. He was a great playmaker and scorer for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, even shooting a solid 37.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Scouts will be watching his measurements closely and may be watching his agility drills too.
Evans is listed at 6-feet, 175 pounds. That is small for a point guard. And his ability to finish at the rim and absorb contact is a real concern. That is why Evans has slipped so far down the draft despite the gaudy numbers. It may have him pegged as a career backup despite his strong scoring numbers.
This is not the case of a smallish point guard who gets to the rim at will and everyone wonders if he can make it in the harder NBA. Evans can get to the basket but struggled to finish there. He shot only 43.8 percent from the floor.
Figuring out if Evans has the ability to improve that mark and finish at the rim through contact is going to be the real test. If he measures taller than expected and can gain some defensive points through the agility drills — Sports-Reference pegs him at a 1.4 defensive box plus-minus, so he projects as a solid defender — Evans could be one of the real risers in the Draft.
The Magic are probably looking for a point guard in this Draft. Many anticipate the team will look to replace Elfrid Payton. The team could also look to move on from D.J. Augustin or begin relegating him to a third point guard. Evans is a fine option to have off the bench behind or with Elfrid Payton.
TJ Leaf, UCLA
Among the many needs for the Orlando Magic this offseason, the team is likely looking for a traditional stretch-4 to bolster the bench lineups or play alongside Aaron Gordon if he ever slides to center or <gulp> small forward again. The Magic mainly are looking for some versatility off the bench.
And that is why a player like the UCLA Bruins’ TJ Leaf is really intriguing.
Leaf averaged 16.3 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game. He was a solid player with traditional power forward skills around the basket.
He has decent size at 6-foot-10, 225 pounds to work near the basket with the athleticism to recover defensively and take slower players off the dribble.
Where Leaf really begins to intrigue is with his shooting. And this is where he has a chance to showcase himself at the Draft Combine.
Last year, Leaf shot 27 of 58 from beyond the arc (46.6 percent). That suggests he might have the ability to stretch his range out to the NBA 3-point line. That would make him immensely more valuable as a pro prospect.
The downside here is Leaf shot 67.9 percent from the line. Usually, free throw shooting is a better indicator of whether a player can stretch their range than 3-point percentage in college. A player with good free throw form can usually continue to expand their range.
This is all to say if Leaf participates in the Combine’s shooting drills, it will be interesting to see if he pushes himself out to the 3-point line. Certainly, scouts will want to see this in individual workouts, but it may not be something Leaf wants to do quite yet in a pressure situation.
Leaf is an intriguing prospect for his size and athleticism. But he will have to prove a lot early on in his career to get clearer footing in the NBA.
Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina
No player in the Combine probably helped his draft stock more in the NCAA Tournament than Sindarius Thornwell.
In leading the South Carolina Gamecocks to the program’s first NCAA Tournament Final Four, Thornwell made a name for himself on the national scene. He was doing yeoman’s work all year putting up points for a plucky South Carolina team.
Thornwell ended the year averaging 21.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. He shot a 51.1 percent effective field goal percentage. In the NCAA Tournament, he posted 23.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 56.3 percent effective field goal percentage. Thornwell became an efficient scoring machine.
That is largely what he was all year for South Carolina, carrying the team through parts of the season.
What is interesting about Thornwell’s game is he seems capable of fitting into a role. He does not need the ball to succeed necessarily, especially as his shot continues to improve.
He shot a career-best 39.5 percent from beyond the arc last year. That was impressive considering his volume went to a career-high 4.5 attempts per game. Thornwell seemed to be improving his shooting.
He may be a small forward in the mold of P.J. Tucker. Someone who can hit an open 3-pointer and attack aggressively while providing some presence on the glass. The Magic would look to him as a bench player who can, on occasion, take over when surrounded by shooters.
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And like Tucker, Thornwell is a solidly built perimeter defender too. He would seem to fit a lot of what the Magic want on the defensive end with his physicality and length.
At the very least, he should get some consideration if he is still available early in the second round.
The shooting thing is going to be the sticking point for Thornwell. He can improve his stock greatly by having a good performance in the shooting drills that take place. If he plays in the scrimmages, he can dominate and show off his playmaking and scoring ability too.
This could be a big moment for Thornwell to climb into the first round if he continues to play well.
Teams may pass on him because he stayed in school four years. But there will surely be a team that sees his defensive potential and see that as a plus for him contributing quickly.
Harry Giles, Duke
At one point, everyone considered Harry Giles a potential number one overall pick. Injuries this year at Duke and an underwhelming season have him going at the end of the first round. If that.
Giles may be a fascinating player to watch at this year’s Combine. He should participate in every event and make it clear to scouts where he stands.
Giles averaged only 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Duke Blue Devils this year. An early season injury knocked him out of the rotation. And he never really regained his spot despite playing 26 games. He showed some flashes of what he could be later in the season, but he was a bit player for Duke.
Giles is trading mostly on his talent and potential. He was a McDonald’s All-American and the No. 2 player in the country according to 247Sports. Giles was seen as a bruising traditional power forward. He has the size, length and athleticism everyone is looking for. Injuries slowed him down.
Someone late in the first round is going to get a very talented player. But one who needs a lot of time to develop.
Giles will show that talent in workouts, but if he wants to get himself back into the first round discussion, he has to play well at the Combine. Giles has no reason why he should not play in the scrimmages or do all the agility drills. He needs to wow scouts with his physical gifts and let everyone know his injury-riddled freshman year is well behind him.
Giles can help his stock out a lot with a strong performance this week.
Devin Robinson, Florida
Many Florida Gators fans are probably a little bit hopeful Devin Robinson remains in the Sunshine State with the Orlando Magic. And the Magic should give the local product some due consideration.
Robinson averaged 11.1 points per game in his junior year at Florida last year, shooting 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. It is his 3-point shooting that has him on NBA radars.
Robinson steadily improved through his three years at Florida to become one of the best shooters in the SEC. That is a positive sign. But those first two years struggling from beyond the arc still hover in the background. The line gets deeper now.
But shooting is a skill the NBA — and the Magic — is looking for and Robinson is at least an intriguing name to bounce around in the second round if a team is looking for some shooting.
Robinson stepped up big for Florida in the team’s run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 12.5 points per game and made 6 of 15 3-pointers in the four-game tournament run.
Robinson is still a player looking for his way and his NBA fit. But it is sometimes these role players that find their home first. He already has good defensive instincts. He just has to prove he can get comfortable at the NBA 3-point line and contribute quickly.
That will be first on his list at the Combine.
Next: 3 signs of hope for the Orlando Magic in 2018
Who are you looking forward to seeing at the NBA Draft Combine? Leave us who you think the Magic should watch in the comments below.