Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

2018 Orlando Magic NBA Draft Preview: Who is Donte DiVincenzo?

By Philip Rossman-Reich

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 14: Donte DiVincenzo #10 of the Villanova Wildcats takes a shot over Daniel Regis #24 of the Nicholls State Colonelsduring a college basketball game at the Wells Fargo Arena on November 14, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Wildcats won 113-77. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 14: Donte DiVincenzo #10 of the Villanova Wildcats takes a shot over Daniel Regis #24 of the Nicholls State Colonelsduring a college basketball game at the Wells Fargo Arena on November 14, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Wildcats won 113-77. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
Donte DiVincenzo, Villanova Wildcats
PITTSBURGH, PA – MARCH 15: Villanova Wildcats guard Donte DiVincenzo (10) dribbles the ball during the second half of the first round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Championships between the Villanova Wildcats and the Radford Highlanders at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA on March 15, 2018. (Photo by Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Final Word

There is plenty to get enamored with Donte DiVincenzo. Especially for those teams drafting toward the back half of the draft. He can come in and fill a role quite easily, attacking off the ball and spreading the floor with his shot. That ability is always valuable.

So too is his willingness to take on that role. He thrived in a specific role at Villanova and there is no reason to think he would get drafted to do anything differently at the NBA level. DiVincenzo could very well do that. He has those wide-ranging skills.

The question remains if DiVincenzo can scale up. Can he use that athleticism to score at the NBA level? Can he become a high-level defender? And can he bring that scoring burst to the league?

Could he even become something more?

That last question is probably why he figures to go in the later parts of the first round. He has the ability to play that secondary role. And he seemed to thrive there.

Accepting that is the first part of the battle for players fitting into a team. Most are stars on their college teams and finding a role is a struggle. DiVincenzo will not have that struggle. If he is elite at one thing it is this — playing off the bench.

That will help him go far. At least early in his career.

It seems like he can do everything a team could ask for from a reserve player. He can shoot the ball effectively and work off the ball. That will help him find a home somewhere. And possibly make an immediate impact.

But projecting much further is a bit of a challenge. He just does not have a lot of room to grow in his game. And certainly, his role will like always be limited to the bench.

That limits what he can do and where he might be successful.

Next: 2018 NBA Draft Preview: Who is Kevin Knox

That realization is both promising and limiting.