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2017 NBA Draft: 2nd Round Gambles for the Orlando Magic

By Vincent Mcmillan

Mar 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) dribbles the ball up the court in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs during the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) dribbles the ball up the court in the first half against the Georgia Bulldogs during the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /
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Hamidou Diallo
Dec 18, 2016; Ft. Meyers, FL, USA; Putnam Science Mustangs gaurd Hamidou Diallo (3) handles the ball against St Anthony Yellowjackets during the first half at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

Hamidou Diallo, Kentucky

Hamidou Diallo is a special case. After graduating high school this past spring, Diallo enrolled at Kentucky. Without playing one game for the Kentucky Wildcats, Diallo declared for the NBA draft.

The 6-foot-5, 188-pound shooting guard impressed during the Combine which has raised his stock. Posting a max vertical leap of 44.5 inches, Diallo has started to turn heads. Even though he did not play a game last year.

To give you a reference point to compare, Zach LaVine recorded a 41.5-inch vertical leap during his combine.

Diallo thrives on driving to the basket and finishing with authority similar to Russel Westbrook. Being that he is barely a college freshman he still has plenty of time to improve the other aspects of his offensive game especially his shooting. With such athleticism, Diallo could surely turn out to be an All-Star in a few years.

Diallo is very active on the defensive end and uses his long wingspan to disrupt passing lanes. Given some time he could become an elite defender on the perimeter.

Diallo is the definition of a gamble. The combine, along with any workouts he goes through, will be the only source of evidence of whether Diallo can make it. The small sample size makes it difficult to project how well or how high his ceiling can be.

If Diallo is available for the Magic in the second round, I do not see the harm in taking a risk on him. But it is looking like he could be that player who shoehorns his workouts into a higher draft selection.