As the NBA Draft approaches, it is time to look back at a tortured history of Orlando Magic draft picks. And maybe mine a few strong picks in the bunch.
The Orlando Magic have hungered for some Lottery luck recently.
The past six years have been tough to stomach. A rebuild process that began with trading Dwight Howard in 2012 was based on building through the NBA Draft. And, conversely, getting high draft picks through the Lottery.
The rebuild has not gone to plan. Orlando never got the runaway megastar the team needed in the Draft. While there were some solid picks in that time, the Magic did not hit nearly enough to see themselves get out of the league’s dregs.
Entering the 2018 NBA Draft, the Magic have the fifth-best odds to win the Lottery. They are hoping either to win the Lottery or get a solid player to re-jumpstart their rebuild. The team needs that influx of talent.
No one could blame Magic fans for believing in the Lottery though. It has always come through for them before. To find their way out of their current predicament will take some timely drafting.
That has not always been the case for the Magic throughout their history. Their best draft picks have always been the most obvious ones. Rarely has the team unearthed a diamond in the rough or some other player that otherwise surprised when they entered the league.
That might explain why the Magic have struggled to push forward during this rebuild in the same way they had before. Lottery luck can only favor a team so many times.
When Orlando has hit, though, they have hit unbelievably. The Magic in a short 30 years have drafted two no-doubt Hall of Famers, traded for another that would have been one if not for injuries. They drafted two Rookie of the Years and several other key players that created two of the most memorable Finals teams of the last 25 years.
That is at least something, right? And some hope that Lottery and Draft luck will shine on the Magic once again. Maybe, in the near future.
Here are the top 15 draft picks in Magic history, but first my honorable mentions:
Honorable Mentions
Anderson Varejao (2004 — Rd. 2, Pick 30): The Orlando Magic traded the energetic big man from Brazil on draft night to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He seemed like he would be a good energetic backup to rookie Dwight Howard. Instead, he had a 13-year career mostly with the Cavaliers.
Michael Doleac (1998 — Rd. 1, Pick 12): The sweet-shooting center from the Utah Utes played three seasons with the Orlando Magic, averaging 6.6 points per game. He carved out a solid career, eventually winning a championship with the Miami Heat in 2006.
Jonathan Isaac (2017 — Rd. 1, Pick 6): Expect Jonathan Isaac to climb out of the honorable mentions as his career continues to blossom. He already looks like a solid defensive player for a 20-year-old. But injuries cut his rookie year to just 27 games.
Zaza Pachulia (2003 — Rd. 2, Pick 42): Zaza Pachulia was a little-known center from Georgia (the country, not the state) who just seemed willing to outwork everyone in the league. He still is as he has stuck with the Golden State Warriors and his career continues on 15 years later.
Matt Harpring (1998 — Rd. 1, Pick 15): Matt Harpring seemed to catch everyone by surprise after the lockout in the 1999 season. He just wanted to work harder than everyone. That football ethos worked well into him. Despite playing just one year with the Magic, he left a big imprint. Injuries cut his career short after stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Utah Jazz.