The Orlando Magic came out of the NBA Draft with two athletic, defensive-minded players. Even with four years in college, Wesley Iwundu may still take time.
The Orlando Magic had a lot invested in the 2017 NBA Draft. Their number and their draft picks, accumulated largely from the Dwight Howard trade, were coming up. Entering draft night, the Magic had four picks coming their way — including their own valuable pick at No. 6.
The 2017 Draft, in president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman’s estimation, was not deep enough to support taking four players. The Magic themselves were not in a position to take on four rookies. After all, Orlando still had young veterans and finding playing time for them all would prove difficult.
The Magic ultimately traded their second pick — the 25th overall pick — for a future first they are not likely going to get. They traded another second round pick too. In the end, Orlando came out of the draft with just two new players.
The hope though was that with the first pick in Jonathan Isaac, they would get a player who could grow into a star but still had a long way to go and a lot of growing to do. He fit a type the Magic were looking for with his length and athleticism.
Their second pick would be something of his opposite. Someone who might be able to contribute quickly and be ahead on the development curve. But he would still have those physical attributes the Magic are looking for.
Wesley Iwundu fit that bill in a lot of ways. The four-year player for the Kansas State Wildcats developed slowly in the course of his career, but he burst onto the scene last year. He had the measurables and profile of a player who can find a role at the end of the bench. His steady progression in his four years suggests he could still grow to be more.
Last year, Iwundu averaged 13.0 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. For a shooting guard, his 3.5 assists per game are certainly promising too.
Iwundu still has a lot of areas of concern. The Magic took him in the second round after all.
Orlando Magic
He shot a solid 37.6 percent from beyond the arc last year, but that was only a year removed from him shooting 20.0 percent from three. That would suggest there are legitimate concerns about his jump shooting and his ability to hit from long range. That is critical for a wing in today’s NBA. But it also showed how he could still improve as a shooter.
Iwundu has really just one year of him putting all his athleticism and talent together. That was enough to catch the NBA’s attention.
At his heart, Iwundu is the athletic wing Weltman envisions as part of this team’s future. He cut his teeth at Kansas State first as a defender. He was a strong defender for the Wildcats and has the physical profile to play there. His offense was always secondary.
But last year showed he could play on the ball some and provide a bit more offensively. His 24 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a NCAA Tournament win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons helped cement his place as a potential NBA prospect. He then followed that up with 19 points in a loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats a round later.
Iwundu has a lot of explosive playmaking and scoring ability. He can get on a run and put up a lot of points, all while providing that athleticism and length on defense.
All of that was on display at Summer League, including some of his warts.
Iwundu finished his Summer League run averaging just 5.6 points per game. He led the team in turnovers with 10 total turnovers (2.0 per game). And he shot an icy 30.3 percent from the floor.
Looking at those numbers alone would probably make everyone think Iwundu disappointed. To some extent he did. It would have been nice to see some more even production.
But the Magic used him as a high-usage player and put him on the ball a lot. Some of it was experimentation to see if he could play point guard on offense. That idea may be at some rest for now.
Iwundu may not be the playmaker the team hopes for. But he could certainly still grow into one. It just may take some time and patience.
But what he showed at Summer League was that tremendous athleticism. He was able to change ends quickly, turning defensive plays into offensive plays. While he struggled with the ball in half-court situations, Iwundu was extremely deadly in the open floor.
Like Jonathan Isaac, he had plays where he made a block or steal and then immediately raced down the floor for a lay-in or dunk. It was his most effective offense.
Getting Iwundu out in the open floor will be the struggle for him. Those plays are still few and far between. Finding what Iwundu can do and how he can contribute to the team on a consistent basis will be tough for this season. He has to improve his shooting to get a firm role.
The shooting from Summer League is concerning. It suggested his shooting his senior year was the outlier rather than the new normal for him. That is the part that he still has to develop and prove every game.
Defensively, Iwundu still probably gets caught trying to make plays too often. He still has some technique he needs to improve and some discipline to gain. In all, it leaves the portrait of a player who is a great athlete but someone who is still developing some key basketball skills.
Where does that leave Iwundu entering this season? Even as a senior, it seems Iwundu is not as complete a player as anyone would hope. He still has shown some potential for growth — especially with his shooting — but he now has to prove that all over again at a new level.
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Even as a senior, it seems Iwundu is not as complete a player as anyone would hope. He still has shown some potential for growth — especially with his shooting — but he now has to prove that all over again at a new level.
It seems likely Iwundu is going to have a hard time cracking the Magic’s rotation this year with a glut of wings pushing for time — between Arron Afflalo, Mario Hezonja, Terrence Ross, Jonathon Simmons and Evan Fournier.
If the Magic are willing to be patient, they could certainly use the Lakeland Magic and the G-League to its fullest extent with Iwundu. Allowing him to develop at the G-League level could be a good way to invest in him this year with the hope of adding him to the main roster full-time next year.
Iwundu still has a lot of work to do to get a full NBA role. He has to prove himself as a capable defender first and foremost. He has the tools to do that. But then he has to prove he can hit outside shots consistently.
He will not play on the ball as much as he did during is Summer League run. Some of the flaws exposed in Summer League likely will not prove much consequence in the NBA.
Next: 2018 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Evan Fournier
Iwundu might be a more fully formed player as a senior in college. But he still has a lot of development to go.