Orlando Magic Daily
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Last six sixth overall picks should give Orlando Magic hope for NBA Draft

By S.W. Guest

Feb 15, 2017; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) is fouled by North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) during the first half at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 15, 2017; Raleigh, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) is fouled by North Carolina Tar Heels forward Theo Pinson (1) during the first half at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jonathan Isaac, Florida State Seminoles
Jan 21, 2017; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Louisville Cardinals forward Mangok Mathiang (12) defends Florida State Seminoles forward Jonathan Isaac (1) during the second half at the Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports /

The Value of the Sixth Pick

In short, the sixth overall pick yields mixed results.

If you are lucky, it may land you a Damian Lillard. If you are not so lucky it may land you a Jan Vesely. But overall, in recent history, it seems to guarantee at least a solid NBA contributor. There is no guarantee it lands a team a star.

The problem is that most drafts only ever offer up one or two players who even come close to be sure things. And even they sometimes fail to live up to expectations.

Still, general manager John Hammond has a good record (Darko Milicic aside) and should hopefully have a fair read of the playing field given that he was, until very recently, scoping it out on behalf of the Milwaukee Bucks.

President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman should have a good eye too. His drafting record with Masai Ujiri and the Toronto Raptors was solid, drafting mostly at the end of the first round during their Playoff runs.

While the chances of the Magic landing their very own version of the Greek Freak are slim, the team should be able to transform the sixth overall pick into a piece talented enough to get this rebuild back on track.