Orlando Magic Daily 2017 NBA Draft Big Board
Just before the Magic pick
John Collins had an impressive sophomore year with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, leading the team to the NCAA tournament with 19.2 points per game nad 9.8 rebounds per game. He is a strong player in the mid-post, able to attack and score around the basket.
At 6-foot-9, he is a bit undersized for the position. And he does not have a 3-point shot. He would have to carve a role as a grinder. But Collins has shown very capable of performing and accepting that role.
Luke Kennard was Duke’s leading scorer last year and proved a very capable scorer at the college level. He is a solid 3-point shooter and can create some off the dribble.
The question is whether he can do it all at the NBA level. He is a bit undersized for a shooting guard and does not seem like he will contribute much on the defensive end. The shooting is extremely valuable, but he has a long way to go to be a true contributor in the NBA.
The latter half of the first round has a lot of post players. Many who seem imperfect fits for the modern NBA. Centers in the league today seem like they have to be able to stretch the floor some and protect the rim.
Justin Patton seemingly did both in his freshman year for the Creighton BlueJays. So that will get him the nod over some of the other players in this grouping. He averaged 12.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for the Blue Jays last year. He shot better than 50 percent from beyond the arc. But he will have to step up his game to make it in the NBA.
Of the big men in this part of the draft, Jarrett Allen seems the readiest to step on the floor and make a difference. Allen averaged 13.4 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game and 1.5 blocks per game.
It is that rim protection that will get Allen a look at the league. He is a bit more developed than his peers in this area defensively. That gives him a little bit of an edge. But he is not a supreme athlete. He mostly uses his size to play defense.
Ike Anigbogu did not get a ton of playing time last year for UCLA. But in the playing time he got, Anigbogu showed a lot of promise. For a team with patience, Anigbogu could turn into a solid center prospect.
Anigbogu averaged roughly four points and four rebounds per game. But in less than 20 minutes per game, he blocked 1.5 shots per game. He is a solid rim protector and active around the basket. He has to continue to learn how to play more solid defense outside of shot blocking.