Who are you liking most in this year’s Draft as conference play starts?
Rossman-Reich: I am still getting around to the prospects in this draft. I have seen the top guys at least for a half. There is definitely talent. I am probably the one to downplay and say there are very good players in this Draft, but not any “Drop everything and tank for this player specifically” players. I like Luka Doncic a lot. I think he is the real deal and am impressed with his stats. I am intrigued by Arizona Wildcats center Deandre Ayton a lot too. The top two guys in this draft are really good. But they have flaws. But, I will admit some bias here. Trae Young is really interesting. And the more I think about how so many teams made the mistake with Stephen Curry, I would be afraid of letting a shooter of his caliber slip by. A shooter with his passing ability has some incredible gravity. He may be the guy the Magic need.
Scricca: There are a ton of guys I like. Luka Doncic is absolutely my number one, and I do not see that changing unless Trae Young manages to sustain this ridiculous level of play all season. Young’s sustainability is the biggest question for me and whether he can consistently create enough separation at the next level to get off his low-release shot. Duke Blue Devils forward Marvin Bagley and his defensive switchability would be a very intriguing fit with Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon. Wendell Carter Jr. and Villanova Wildcats forward Mikal Bridges are two high-floor prospects with very high skill levels and sneaky potential to end up among the best in this class. And of course, there is the injured Michael Porter, who has potential to be excellent in so many ways: playmaking, shooting, scoring at all three levels, defense against multiple positions, etc. I also have my eyes on Wichita State Shockers forward Landry Shamet, Kentucky Wildcats guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Creighton Bluejays guard Khyri Thomas, Kansas Jayhawks guard Devonte’ Graham, West Virginia Mountaineers guard Jevon Carter and Ohio State Buckeyes forward Keita Bates-Diop as potential second-round sleepers. In short, I am very excited about this class.
Henderson: Obviously Luka Doncic is everyone’s number one or two draft pick but I would seriously consider Trae Young from Oklahoma. He is averaging 29.4 points per game and 10.2 assists. That sounds like a really good player to put around Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac going forward. While Doncic from Slovenia is averaging 18.6 points per game playing for Real Madrid, Young is leading the NCAA in points and assists. The Magic passing on this guy would be another huge mistake by an organization that has not made the Playoffs since Dwight Howard wore number 12 in Magic blue.
Palmer: To be completely honest I have only seen a few prospects thus far. Deandre Ayton, while offensively dominant, I just do not like what I have seen defensively. For Mohamed Bamba, it is the exact opposite. Trae Young sure looks spectacular but he does not seem like a Weltman/Hammond type of pick. For me, Luka Doncic is by far and away the most impressive prospect I have seen. Doncic is dominating grown men in Spain. I will admit that I worry about his athleticism in the NBA but he is just so skilled that I cannot see him failing in the NBA.
Flynn: The two guys that come to mind for me are Luca Doncic and Trae Young. Doncic seems to have the playmaking ability to make his teammates better. His big body and ball handling skills give me hopes of the next Ben Simmons-type player. Trae Young has a scoring ability that can immediately translate to the NBA which instantly takes the load off of other young guys trying to find their role with the team. Jonathan Isaac has been great on the defensive end while he is healthy. I still need to see him on the floor more to be able to get truly excited about his future. I am not pessimistic by any means on Isaac, Moreso reserving judgment until he can play at least half a season.
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