Jeff Weltman, Orlando Magic complete research at NBA Draft Combine
Jeff Weltman and the Orlando Magic had a busy week last week at the NBA Draft Combine as they completed their research for the Draft process.
The Orlando Magic have stayed very quiet this offseason. Nothing has come out of the Amway Center as the team has undergone plenty of changes behind the scenes.
And maybe the team should not be quiet considering the team still has to find a new head coach.
That coaching search went on the backburner last week as the team’s staff descended upon Chicago for the NBA Draft Combine. This was the team’s first chance to speak to the draft prospects and match their scouting and background research to their interactions with the player.
It is a major intelligence-gathering event. And an important step in the draft process. Now teams got their first chance to interact with players in the draft and get to know them as people.
Magic president of basketball operations
spoke to the media at the Combine about what the team hoped to accomplish (h/t
):
The strategy for the Magic was certainly an interesting one.
Of note, Weltman said the team focused its interviews on prospects who would fall between the team’s picks in case an opportunity to trade up came around. That certainly suggests the Magic are being thorough with their draft process.
It might explain why there is little panic about missing out on some top prospects like Michael Porter Jr. at the Combine. Orlando still conducted their first interviews with two key point guards in Trae Young and Collin Sexton.
But this was about beginning to round out the team’s base of information for Draft night on June 21.
Weltman said the focus is still at the top of the Draft. There is a clear dividing line between the top seven or eight players. But Weltman said they could go in any order. And that will very well determine who the Magic take at No. 6.
Most notably, he said the player the Magic might pick and No. 6 could very well go in the top two one month from now. Considering there are plenty of reports that some teams at the top may be shying away from Luka Doncic.
There is still a lot of work to do before the June 21 draft.
It may just be lip service, but it feels true that this draft class is an especially deep one. Weltman said it is one that scouts and the league have had earmarked for a while. They believe even at No. 6, Orlando will get a very good player.
There is nothing to suggest otherwise. And there might be some nice finds even later in the Draft.
Orlando has kept its cards — both at the Combine and in their coaching search — pretty close to the vest. There is little information coming out on this team.
Next: Jonathan Isaac seems to know everyone in the Draft
It does seem the Magic got a lot of work done at the Combine as their draft preparations pick up.