Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft: Memorial Day check up

Mohamed Bamba measured with a whopping 7-foot-10 wingspan at the NBA Draft Combine. Everyone understood Bamba had incredible length. He displayed that in his lone year with the Texas Longhorns.

Bamba was a shot blocker –3.7 blocks per game — but also a good rebounder and big presence. But he was extremely raw. He floated to the perimeter too much and trusted his jump shot a little too much. His slight frame made it hard for him to establish post position.

He has a long way to go.

Judging by video of him in an empty gym shooting around, his jumper seems to have come a long way. And that makes him infinitely more valuable.

This is a guy who could become a potential game-changer on defense. And this high in the draft, teams need to be willing to take a swing on a high-upside prospect like him. He may not be an every-year All-Star, but he will make a team’s defense better instantly. And if his offensive game expands, he could be a whole lot more.

Personally, I am not particularly high on Marvin Bagley. There may not be a more gifted offensive player in this draft. He has a knack for scoring around the basket. And that is what his focus was with the Duke Blue Devils.

The scoring and athleticism he has with the ball are hard to ignore. He put up gaudy numbers. Someone will be sucked in by that. He will surely impress and put up good numbers when he reached the NBA too.

His defense though remains a problem. Duke had to go to a 2-3 zone for much of the year to hide him defensively. That is something Mike Krzyzewski always loathes doing.

Bagley is that special offensively that he went through with it. But that was at the college level. At the NBA level, things may be a different story.

Bagley does not have much of a game outside the paint. He has no developed 3-point shot. He will have to add that to his game to survive in the league. And his defense will remain a work in progress.

The scoring talent is there. A decade ago, Bagley would easily be in the conversation for the top pick in the NBA. But he and his skill set have quickly become a dinosaur in the league.

Jaren Jackson Jr. is one of the most promising and untapped prospects in the Draft. After Bamba, no one has the length and athleticism he has. He has a budding and developing offensive game too, showing the ability to work in the high post and step out and potentially hit threes.

It is all just very raw. He struggled to stay on the court with the Michigan State Spartans. That was perhaps his role, to be an overeager shot blocker. He blocked plenty of shots and showed plenty of that defensive potential. Jackson just needs some discipline.

But scouts are very high on his upside. They are very high on what he can become and his potential to continue growing. There is a lot to like about him.

It is just very poorly defined at the moment. In a way that Bamba is not. Teams like that unformed piece of clay. And in the right system, Jackson could easily turn into one of the better players in this draft.