Orlando Magic Daily
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6 players the Orlando Magic could pick in the 2018 NBA Draft

By Philip Rossman-Reich

OMAHA, NE - MARCH 23: Wendell Carter Jr #34 of the Duke Blue Devils shoots the ball against the Syracuse Orange during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 23, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE - MARCH 23: Wendell Carter Jr #34 of the Duke Blue Devils shoots the ball against the Syracuse Orange during the first half in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 23, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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Trae Young, PG Oklahoma

Trae Young will remain the most divisive and intriguing prospect in the Draft.

The raw numbers are simply eye-popping — 27.4 points per game, 8.7 assists per game, 36.0 percent 3-point field goal percentage and 51.8 percent effective field goal percentage. They warranted the attention he got.

ESPN overcovered him in a lot of ways, particularly when he feasted on the weaker non-conference competition. But there is no denying his shooting ability. He is the first player to come up in the Stephen Curry age and actually look like him.

Young can shoot seemingly from anywhere on the court. He has the ability to warp defenses with his probing into the lane and his exceptional passing ability. And he can pull up and hit shots.

The defenses Young had to face with the Oklahoma Sooners were often a bit ridiculous. He saw constant double teams and pressure as defenses were just determined to get him off the ball. That would explain, at least partially, his nation-worst 5.2 turnovers per game.

Young will get plenty of publicity. The shoe companies are already fighting over his footwear. There is still the possibility that he could be a breakout star. At least, he would bring some excitement. He is the kind of player that will put up gaudy raw scoring numbers. And sometimes that is what a team needs.

The Magic have certainly missed having that player who seemingly could drop 25 points any night without thinking. And the Magic clearly need a point guard and some shooting.

The turnovers are a concern. And Young is not the most athletic finisher at the rim. Or much of a defender. He does not fit the profile of the kind of players Jeff Weltman and John Hammond are known to pick. But who knows if th

e team actually has a type?

Having a player who can impact an offense and impact scoring the way Young can is something that is hard to pass up. Despite his flaws, if he can be that shooter and scorer, he would be a foundational, identity-building piece. The question is whether he can do that.