The Orlando Magic have settled their front office and can now turn their attention fully to next month’s NBA Draft. We look ahead too in this roundtable.
New Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman had little to say about the current state of the team’s roster as he addressed the media for the first time. He said he would wait to learn more from the retained staff — especially coach Frank Vogel — about that as he begins to piece together the way forward for this team.
The one thing he knew and the one thing he knew he could count on, and even offer an opinion about (albeit a brief and guarded one) was the Draft. The Magic will have plenty of opportunities to begin reshaping their roster with this Draft. Undoubtedly the team’s four picks — Nos. 6, 25, 33 and 35 — will lay the basis for the next phase of the team’s rebuild.
Weltman has some thoughts on the players available. But at this early stage, he said he is looking forward to discussing the observations and analysis and information from the current staff preparing for the Draft. For now, Matt Lloyd remains on the staff leading the Magic’s draft preparations. And Weltman is jumping on the train mid-stream.
To be sure, whatever plans Weltman comes up with will rely heavily on the picks he makes in this year’s Draft. The Magic are not preparing to do a whole rebuild and so they will need a mix of finding a core piece and adding to the team’s depth with the other picks. Maybe taking a risk.
Everyone wants to try and figure out what Weltman and John Hammond’s type is to try to predict this draft. The reality is nobody knows exactly what they will favor for this team. They still have a lot of learning to do to get a better sense of what they have to start with. For now, everyone can only assume they will take the best player available.
With the Lottery clearly in the rearview mirror now. The Draft landscape is a bit clearer to decipher. Whom the Magic can pick has come into clearer focus.
There is still a month to go before the Draft. That will be plenty of time for Weltman and his staff to get caught up to speed and formulate their draft preferences and plans — along with free agency.
We have our own thoughts too. And at this early stage of our draft preparation, we share our thoughts on which direction the Magic should head. . . for now.
As Weltman said, the Draft board changes on a daily basis. And the Draft would go completely differently if it happened yesterday than it would today than it would tomorrow.
How are we feeling about drafting sixth? Can the Magic get a quality player — a star player — at this spot?
Ryan Doyle (@RDoyle27): To be honest, it is a bummer to be picking sixth. The Magic are in an ugly situation and need to find a way to get out of the basement in the Eastern Conference. Getting lucky and landing a top pick would have solved that much quicker. Sadly, it may take even longer for the Magic to become relevant again. For months I have been hearing this is a deep draft class, and I agree with that assessment. However, I do not see the Magic getting a bona fide star. Guys like Jayson Tatum, Dennis Smith Jr. and Jonathan Isaac are quality prospects, but they are not stars in my eyes.
Zach Palmer (@FmrTankCommandr): Obviously, drafting sixth is less than ideal. Even worse the Magic ended up losing the first round pick the Los Angeles Lakers were supposed to give them. With that said, the Magic can still get good players and, I would go as far as saying, potential perennial All Stars at No. 6. I believe the two best chances for that outcome lie in the talent of Dennis Smith Jr. and Jonathan Isaac. Based on how the lottery turned out, it may be hard for Smith to fall to the Magic but it would be hard to believe Isaac and Smith will both be off the board. It was not a great lottery for Orlando. But if they play their cards right they should be ok.
Philip Rossman-Reich (@omagicdaily): I am feeling pretty good about this pick right now actually. I think the Orlando Magic will get themselves a player with star potential and someone who can contribute and fit with this roster pretty immediately. If the top eight in this draft are Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Josh Jackson, De’Aaron Fox, Jayson Tatum, Jonathan Isaac, Dennis Smith and Malik Monk and my team is guaranteed to get one of those, I am feeling pretty good. Yes, the risk is greater drafting at six. More options are always better. But the Magic will be able to get someone they feel comfortable with and decide between some pretty talented players.
Ricky Scricca (@scricca1): A lot of the big names will be off the board at sixth, but there will still be guys with great upside and NBA skills available. Dennis Smith Jr., Jonathan Isaac, Malik Monk, De’Aaron Fox and Jayson Tatum. At least two of those guys will be available. The situation could be better, but there are plenty of opportunities. I am optimistic.
Patrick Flynn (@pflynn33): Obviously not what I was hoping for, but I feel okay about it. The Magic will still have some options for which direction they want to go. Backcourt options in Malik Monk and Dennis Smith or shore up the frontcourt of the future in Jonathan Isaac. The new front office will have to do their homework as some of the players available at six come with more risk.
With a month to go before the NBA Draft, who is your favorite for the Magic’s first pick?
Doyle: I think my favorite for the pick is Dennis Smith Jr. I think Orlando needs to find an answer at point guard. Elfrid Payton is a solid player, but I think the Magic could upgrade the position with Smith. I wish I saw more development from Elfrid Payton, but I think he has reached his ceiling as a player. Smith can score and be the primary ball-handler in my eyes. I do think the Magic draft somebody with a strong offensive game, so Malik Monk and Jayson Tatum are other players I think the Magic look at come draft night.
Palmer: Discussed this plenty on the Google Live event but it is definitely Dennis Smith Jr. He is a three-level scorer with plus athleticism. Of all the guys in this draft, I think Smith has the second-best odds, behind Markelle Fultz, of being a go-to scorer. The Magic desperately need one of those, especially one that can space the floor better than Elfrid Payton.
Rossman-Reich: I am slowly selling myself on Dennis Smith, Jr. At NC State, he had a pretty poor supporting cast and yet he produced. And he produced in a way that translates to the NBA. He has a good change of pace and can get to the basket and the foul line pretty easily. The only question with him is his shooting, which was very unproven at NC State. But I like his versatility a lot — he can play either guard spot — and his scoring and playmaking. It is exactly what the Magic need.
Scricca: Dennis Smith Jr. is the best bet for my money. He would be a great fit in the rotation alongside Elfrid Payton, and because of the Magic’s situation, he would have plenty of time to learn and explore his upside. He could end up starting ahead of, backing up, or playing with Payton. I also don’t think you can go wrong with Malik Monk, who appears ready to knock down threes on an NBA team. The Magic can use as much of that as they can get.
Flynn: Malik Monk. I am probably going to get killed for this, but I want to see more of what Elfrid Payton can do in the up-tempo offense. Adding an athletic scoring threat alongside Payton could increase development for both players.
What kind of players would you target with the Magic’s second first round pick? Should the Magic take a reach or high-potential player later in the Draft?
Doyle: I think the Magic are done taking risks. I am right there with them. Orlando drafted guys based on their potential in Aaron Gordon and Mario Hezonja and it has not panned out to this point. With the late first round pick, they can land someone who can fill a role in his rookie season. Maybe a strong defensive prospect or a player who can stretch the floor. Taking a project late in the first round will have him buried on the bench for a few years. I am all for taking a player that can contribute from day one and help this team in some way.
Palmer: Based on how bad Orlando’s bench was this past season, I would pick guys who could provide immediate production off the bench. Last year, the Milwaukee Bucks took Malcolm Brogdon and it paid off big time for them. It was clear Brogdon was going to be a NBA player coming out of college. But he fell because his ceiling was limited. That should not be a problem for the Magic. Having valuable role players is something that they’ve learned isn’t as common as you would hope.
Rossman-Reich: I think it is really important to replenish the Magic’s bench with these late first round picks. If a lottery-quality guy drops and the team’s research suggests they should pick him or he is undervalued, then absolutely the Magic should pick him. But even then, I would like to see them pick a player who can at least fill a role on next year’s team, even if it is coming off the bench in sparse minutes. I would go for more ready-made prospects, not the high-ceiling guys. The Magic should not be looking to get that reach for a starter at 25 or 33 or 35, they need to get someone who can play off the bench and succeed in that role.
Scricca: I think the Magic need to snag someone with a definable NBA skill regardless of their weaknesses. The first pick should be someone with high upside, but the second round pick does not need to project as anything more than a rotation-quality player. There is no point in taking a risk in the 20s. Just get someone you can feel confident will give you something as soon as possible.
Flynn: The Magic should be looking to draft someone that they feel can contribute right away in some aspect. Another risky, long-term project is not what the Magic should be looking for.
Have the Playoffs been too boring or inevitable? Is this is a problem for the NBA?
Doyle: Call me a terrible NBA fan, but I have not watched much of the NBA Playoffs. The conference finals have been a joke and most of the playoffs have been uncompetitive. It may sound harsh, but I am really disappointed by it. I love basketball and it stinks that I am turning to baseball in May. This is a major problem for the sport. Many of the casual fans are not tuning in until the Finals start because it has become so obvious and boring. Cleveland Cavaliers–Golden State Warriors was everyone’s prediction since Kevin Durant signed with Golden State. I do not know what the course of action is, but I do not see this problem going away anytime soon.
Palmer: This year that was definitely the case. We all called the Finals last June and it has gone just as expected. There was some intrigue around the San Antonio Spurs-Golden State Warriors series. But Zaza Pachulia put a quick end to that. I would say the lack of parity has not hurt the NBA yet but in the coming years it could become very concerning. The idea of the Cavaliers and Warriors dueling without much competition for the next 3-5 years is kind of boring and sickening to me.
Rossman-Reich: Yes and no. Certainly, a boring Playoffs frustrates everyone. I remember being in a creative writing class (yes, I was that guy in high school) and the first thing our teacher told us was to make sure your ending is good. If your ending is bad, you will disappoint and frustrate your audience. A bad ending — or unsatisfying ending — ruins an entire story. So to have such an amazing NBA regular season and then follow it up with a poor Playoffs? Yeah, I understand why fans are so frustrated and upset at the moment. The ending is everything. If Golden State and Cleveland (or the Boston Celtics) goes seven games like last year, none of that will matter. TV ratings certainly are not hurting. I am not even sold this lack of parity is a problem either. Everyone waxes poetically about the Celtics-Lakers series of the 1980s. The league had a much bigger parity problem then. Here is hoping the Finals this year deliver.
Scricca: The overwhelming dominance of the Cavaliers and Warriors sucks… until the Finals. Not to mention, the playoffs have actually done well in TV ratings. So I do not think it is a big problem for the league and I do not think anything should be done about it. This is just another era in the league’s history that will be remembered for the unparalleled dominance of one or two teams, just like all the classic decades: the 1960s (Celtics), 1980s (Celtics and Lakers) and 1990s (Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls). Plus, did we all forget about how awesome this regular season was? Anyone who tells you the feats of Russell Westbrook or James Harden should be enjoyed any less just because his team was never a Finals contender is a killjoy. These parity issues have undoubtedly made most of the playoff series leading up the Finals very boring and non-competitive, but it did not affect my enjoyment of the regular season, I think it will pay off in a great Finals matchup, and I think it will eventually ebb when these teams start to decline and others continue to rise.
Next: Jeff Weltman arrives to Orlando ready to listen, lead
Flynn: The Cavaliers and Warriors series have certainly lacked drama, but all of the other series were entertaining. The Washington Wizards-Boston Celtics series and even the Bulls-Celtics series were very entertaining and had their fair share of drama. The Utah Jazz eliminating the LA Clippers raised a lot of interesting questions for the Clippers’ future and James Harden laying an egg in Game Six against the Spurs created some intrigue with who Harden is as a player. Did we all expect to see Warriors vs Cavaliers in the Finals? Yes. But, looking at each series there is plenty to take away from the Playoffs this year.