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NBA Draft prospects to watch for the Orlando Magic: Christmas Edition

By Ricky Scricca

TUCSON, AZ - DECEMBER 09: Collin Sexton #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide passes the ball around Allonzo Trier #35 of the Arizona Wildcats during the second half of the college basketball game at McKale Center on December 9, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Crimson Tide 88-82. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TUCSON, AZ - DECEMBER 09: Collin Sexton #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide passes the ball around Allonzo Trier #35 of the Arizona Wildcats during the second half of the college basketball game at McKale Center on December 9, 2017 in Tucson, Arizona. The Wildcats defeated the Crimson Tide 88-82. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Collin Sexton, Alabama

Collin Sexton’s take-no-prisoners attitude makes him easy to root for. The competitive edge he plays with is obvious and compelling.

Earlier this season, he nearly won a game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers with only two teammates after all the others were either ejected or fouled out.

Sexton is a bulldog. The intangibles are remarkable. But the skill is too.

Offensively, he is an excellent slasher and can get by his man practically at will. He has quieted question marks about his shooting as he is now up to 47 percent from three on almost four attempts per game. He is a dynamic scorer and an explosive athlete. You can see it both in the halfcourt and in transition.

Despite his elite ability to break down defenders and get to the rim, perhaps more impressive is his ability to knock down threes off the dribble in high pick-and-roll situations. He is not quite as good spotting up, but if he can continue to force defenders to go over screens, that will be a massive boost to his attacking and finishing numbers at the next level.

His playmaking skills leave much to be desired considering his role as a primary facilitator. His assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.4 is below average. His play as both a passer and scorer is erratic at times and can lead to ugly results. But that is to be expected of young point guards and he has plenty of time to improve.

He is slightly undersized as a defensive prospect at 6-foot-2. His 6-foot-6 wingspan is impressive though, and his aggressive mentality maximizes every inch of it.

Even if you do not believe in his measurables, you can bet on him to compete on both ends, fight over screens and hound opposing guards at the point of attack.

Just like with his offensive game, his aggressiveness on defense is both a blessing and a curse. His physical play can get him into foul trouble, as evidenced by his poor defensive plays-to-fouls ratio of 0.524.

The Magic need a point guard, particularly one that can shoot, but they also need some edge. Sexton will need to rein in some of his frenetic play at the next level, but his intangibles make him easy to root for, easy to believe in and a really interesting potential fit for Orlando.