Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft 2.0: Let’s get to business

Other Targets

Regardless of how the NBA Draft shakes out, the Orlando Magic should have some other options at No. 15. I have already changed my mind on who the Magic should pick. And the way the draft might shake out — or the trade opportunities above and below them — could affect what the team does.

It is not clear if the Portland Trail Blazers will be able to re-sign Hassan Whiteside this offseason. But after Zach Colins’ injury-filled year, the Trail Blazers should look to bolstering their front-court some.

Vernon Carey was a solid defender and scorer for Duke this past year. But nothing too flashy. He averaged 17.8 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game with 1.5 blocks per game. He was a consensus All-American.

Some mock drafts have the Magic targeting him. But he does not seem like the best fit for this team at the moment unless they have given up on Mohamed Bamba.

Precious Achiuwa was one of the top high school prospects in the country last year entering Memphis. But he struggled some his lone year in college — averaging 15.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. But he did so while shooting worse than 50-percent. Not a good sign for a big.

If the Orlando Magic do go the point guard route in the draft, they will likely take Kira Lewis with the 15th pick. He is a speedy guard who can get to the basket and finish around the basket. He averaged 18.5 point sper game last year, shooting a 52.1-percent effective field goal percentage. He may not be a primary playmaker, averaging just 5.2 assists per game.

Still, there is a lot of skill in Lewis. Getting him at this stage of the draft should be considered well worth the gamble. And this is certainly a spot where the Magic could trade down if they wanted to do.

Lewis should be able to slide into whatever lineup he is in and help as at least a backup point guard. But he has to be able to show he can hit the outside shot and control the pace of a game.

The Orlando Magic are definitely looking for some shooting and if they are looking into the point guard market, there is probably no better shooter than Stanford’s Tyrell Terry.

Terry averaged 14.6 points per game while shooting 40.8-percent on 3-pointers. He made 89.9 percent of his free throws. Every number checks out for him to be a solid shooter at the NBA level.

He is not much of a playmaker, averaging 3.2 assists per game. At 6-foot-1, he will be a bit undersized for what the Magic like especially. But he will certainly be on their radar if they are looking to add a point guard.

No one ever blames the Miami Heat for swinging for singles. Everything they do is big and they always take advantage of opportunities that come around. R.J. Hampton slipping this deep into the Draft feels like an opportunity the Heat would not pass up.

Hampton was one of the highest rated recruits when he decided to go to Australia for his gap year before the NBA. But Hampton struggled in his lone year in the pros. Some scouts seem to think it will be a humbling experience.

The question will be whether he takes that experience and puts it to work. If he can, he has a great first step and is someone who can explode to the basket. With this kind of talent, it sure would feel like the rich will get richer.

In my original mock draft back in June, I had the Orlando Magic selecting Theo Maledon. The French point guard is a skilled driver and a solid playmaker. He does a lot of little things to attack and manage a game. He changes pace good and can wedge himself into a defense.

The issue with Maledon and why he slides every where is his lack of athleticism. He is not going to beat many NBA defenders off the dribble and get to the basket. He wins his battles on positioning.

The idea with Maledon is to draft him to be a backup point guard. He should be able to manage a backup unit pretty successfully. But that is probably all he is at this point is a game manager.

There are a lot of point guard options in this late stage of the first round. Tyrese Maxey is certainly an intribuging one in this bunch. The Kentucky point guard was a solid scorer and attacker. But he was not much of a jump shooter or playmaker. And that is why he is probably on the back end of these point guard prospects.

Maxey has the physical profile to be a great defender. He has the plus-wingspan that Jeff Weltman has liked throughout his tenure. He can certainly put all the pieces together to be an impact player.

But his poor shooting — 29.2-percent form deep at the college level — is the biggest concern for his future prospects. And shooting has become such a big factor in these decisions. Maxey will have a lot of work to crack a rotation.