Orlando Magic 2020 NBA Draft Big Board: One month to go

The Trade Up Candidates

Pros: The players at the top of this draft are not considered runaway stars. They are still the most talented players available in this draft. And I think LaMelo Ball is probably the clear-cut best prospect in this draft. His mix of speed, playmaking and scoring ability is probably not matched by anyone in this draft. Is there a safe bet in this draft for a star, it is him.

Cons: Ball’s shooting is still a major question mark. He definitely can hit from the outside, but he is not consistent from there yet. He struggled some in his first professional run in Australia — a league that is quickly gaining in notoriety and respect around the world. His upside is high, but if he does not hit as a lead guard, his potential role depends on his attitude and acceptance of a role.

Pros: The Orlando Magic’s undoubted need for scoring is at the top of this draft board list. Edwards was an elite scorer. He was able to get to the basket at will and finish with athleticism at the rim. Edwards is the top pick on a lot of boards for a reason.

Cons: Edwards is not a good shooter at all. He shot worse than 30-percent from three at Georgia and only 77.2-percent from the foul line. He tends to take a lot of inefficient shots too. So if he is not the team’s starring player, I think there are real questions about what he gives the team.

Pros: James Wiseman might be the model for a modern center. He is 7-foot-1 and just a supreme athlete. He moves well around the basket and has great mobility. He can fly to the basket and either finish at the rim or challenge shots at the rim. As a lane rover, Wiseman is the ideal for rim-protecting centers.

Cons: Wiseman just has not played a lot of basketball. He played only three games last year before NCAA suspension forced him to sit out. He still needs to get the defensive discipline that most young centers need to get to be a true defensive force. Wiseman also probably does not have range beyond the paint, limiting how teams can build around.

Pros: The Lakeland-born French swing guard has a lot of the tools the Orlando Magic like. At 6-foot-8 he is a skilled ball-handler and point guard. He can make a lot of difficult passes and is very unselfish for a player of his skill.

Cons: Hayes is still improving as a shooter and a scorer. Those are not his first instincts, which is fine. But he can overpass or make the difficult pass rather than the simple one. He is not an explosive athlete either and he still needs to put on weight to deal with stronger players at the next level.

Pros: Like Killian Hayes, Tyrese Haliburton is an oversized point guard at 6-foot-5 who has good speed and playmaking to play the position at his height. He averaged 6.5 assists per game. Offensively, he shot 41.9-percent from beyond the arc. That is a good sign of his potential at the next level and filling a need for the Magic.

Cons: His shot is promising, but it is a little flat. There is some concern about how he will be able to get that shot off at the next level. Like many taller guards, he has to put on strength before really excelling at the next level. And defensively, he has never been called on to be solid on that end, although the tools are certainly there.