We are one week away from the NBA Draft. Now that we have studied the prospects more, let’s reset the Orlando Magic’s big board and who they are looking at.
For the longest time, the NBA’s 2021 season felt illusory. It was a mirage. Something far off in the distance that would never actually arrive. It was hypothetical.
Now it is real.
The Draft is Nov. 18. Free agency begins Nov. 20. Training camp opens Dec. 1. And the season begins Dec. 22.
The calendar is laid out in front of the Magic and the rest of the league. The 2021 season is on the horizon.
Now it feels like a complete sprint. The unending void of this offseason has given way to the inevitability that the season will begin. And the fact there is not a lot of time to prepare for it.
It is probably best to take everything in turn — even with free agency happening so soon after the Draft and hanging like a specter over everything else. And so we start with the Draft.
Nearly a month ago, we put out our Orlando Magic-specific big board to try to get a sense of who the Orlando Magic are looking at or what the Magic should be looking for in this Draft. We will reserve a final mock draft for next week right before the Draft takes place.
It feels like now is a good time to reassess what the Magic should value and what they should be looking for when it comes to this draft. It is time again to put out a rank ordering of the prospects the Magic should be looking at seriously.
This list is not a prediction of the Draft order. This is not a prediction of which teams will pick who. This is an evaluation of players based on who the Magic would pick. It is meant to be an evaluation of if these players were left on the board when the Magic pick, this is who the team would take if they were taking best player available.
Need is considered here, but only lightly. Essentially a better, more talented player will rise above the team’s need or lack of need. But at the end of the day, the Magic are more likely to take the best player available rather than focus solely on need.
Whereas our first big board looked at the pros and cons of each player, this big board will focus on the level of interest the Magic would really have on the player and a bit more on his fit with the team.
The Magic are in a position where they have to consider everybody. Even if it is not a player who necessarily makes sense with the current roster. After all, the Magic are still in need of top-end talent, wherever they can find it.
They need to be prepared for all levels of this draft.
The top of the Draft
1
LaMelo Ball G
My position on LaMelo Ball has not changed. He is probably the most talented and most dynamic offensive player in the Draft. He was a solid scorer at the professional level already and has a great dynamic scoring ability.
But the question facing the Orlando Magic is whether they would be willing to pay the cost to get there. To me, that answer remains no, even if I have Ball as the top player on my board. Ball’s likelihood of becoming a star is greater than any player in this Draft. But he could easily bust too. This is not a guy to build around.
The fact he is at the top of the Draft has left a lot of questions for teams at the top trying to trade down and teams trying to trade up.
2
Anthony Edwards G/F
Anthony Edwards faces many of the same problems as LaMelo Ball does. Edwards is a dynamic scorer and a great athlete. Edwards, probably more than Ball, can be a great scorer and primary option.
But he is probably not someone I would bank my franchise on. He is a poor 3-point shooter (poorer than Ball, who is at least a bit closer to average) and not a great or engaged defender. Maybe that was because he had to carry the entire load for Georgia last year. But Edwards is also not a player to build a roster around, despite his immense talent.
Eyeing for trades
3
Tyrese Haliburton G
I will move Tyrese Haliburton up a few spots in this big board as it is becoming clear the Orlando Magic have a very big need at point guard and this draft is chock full of guards who could help the team, playing alongside or backing up Markelle Fultz. The Magic very well could come out of this Draft with their replacement for D.J. Augustin.
So I think the place to start is with Haliburton. I have him as the top guard in this draft because of his balance of driving and shooting. He was a 41.9-percent shooter from deep in averaging 15.2 points per game. He dished out 6.2 assists per game.
What is impressive about Haliburton is how he uses his speed well and controls the pace of the game. His ability to shoot — despite some concerns about a slow release and gather — separates himself from the pack. If barely.
4
Killian Hayes PG
I have Tyrese Haliburton edging out Killian Hayes by a hair. I think both Hayes and Haliburton would provide the Orlando Magic with skills they absolutely need at the point guard position.
Hayes is probably a more dynamic and skilled driver. He has good athleticism to get to the basket and finish when he gets there. Hayes has the size the Magic like as a 6-foot-8 point guard. He will attack the basket. He is still just very raw. So Haliburton’s overall development gives him an edge in my book.
5
James Wiseman C
James Wiseman is probably still the top big man in the Draft. He is a big low-post force who plays a more traditional back to the basket game and a strong pick-and-roll game. He is a great athlete for a big man. That was evident even in the short time he played at Memphis before he was deemed ineligible.
Wiseman though is slipping in my mind. The next center on this list, Onyeka Okongwu, does a lot more things modern NBA centers need to do. Wiseman still has a lot of development and awareness to go defensively. this just is not a league for centers with a little bit of versatility and guard skill. At least not to build around.
6
Deni Avdija G/F
Every year around the Draft, I try to tell myself to focus on what draft prospects can do instead of what they cannot do. It is easy to fall into the trap of doubting players with clear skills because they do not fit exactly what you think the team needs. It is easy to forget these are incomplete pictures — really they are just starting.
I will admit that perhaps I have done this with a few prospects — and most of all, Deni Avdija. I have often described Avdija as someone who is good at a lot of things but not elite at any of them. So I do not know if the Magic should trade up to get him.
But he is a really capable player who will fill in gaps and help whatever team drafts him. He is a great passer for a player of his size and experience. And he is a capable offensive player, even if he is not destined to be a dominant scorer.
7
Onyeka Okongwu C
Onyeka Okongwu could quietly be the biggest riser at the top of this draft. His skill set is exactly what a lot of teams look for in centers. Or at least centers who cannot shoot.
Okongwu is a classic rim protector and rebounder, averaging 8.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. Despite being listed at 6-foot-9, Okongwu knows how to position himself defensively and make an impact on that side of the ball.
He does not have a lot of offensive skills besides simple moves and putbacks. But that may not be what teams need that draft him. He would slide into any of the contending teams at the top of the Draft and is a real option much higher than his draft position might suggest.
On and off the board
8
Isaac Okoro F
Most Orlando Magic fans have probably taken Isaac Okoro off their board. I will admit that I have too. I have not done a lot of prep on him simply because the Magic do not need another versatile forward that still seems like a lump of unmolded clay.
Okoro might be the best perimeter defender in the Draft. He still has a long way to go to develop offensively. But, if not for all the other picks the Magic have made since Jeff Weltman took over, the Magic would certainly be interested in him. It is just hard to find room for all these players that are so similar if the Magic were to draft him.
9
Devin Vassell G/F
For Orlando Magic fans, no player has gotten more attention than Devin Vassell. He seems to have everything the Magic like. He has great length for a guard and is already an adept defensive player. You have to be to play for Florida State.
The shooting is the big thing for the Magic, of course. They are in desperate need of that. And Vassell is probably the best pure shooter in this Draft (provided he did not tinker too much with his form). Vassell is probably the first player on this list that is a clear target for the team trying to move up to acquire.
10
Patrick Williams F
Devin Vassell’s teammate in Patrick Williams checks a lot of the boxes the Orlando Magic like. He has good size and length, is an ace defender and knows how to play his role. But like Isaac Okoro, he is more physical potential than skill potential. And that is probably what has him lower on the Magic’s Draft board.
Williams can make all the athletic plays and defensive plays the Magic like from their forwards. Like Okoro, if the Magic did not have so many similar players, they would be taking him right here. But Williams just has a lot to figure out offensively and a lot of offensive skill he needs to build.
11
Obi Toppin F
Obi Toppin has the opposite problem of his fellow versatile forwards in Isaac Okoro and Patrick Williams. He is a versatile forward who knows very much who he is and his skills. He is not a completely unmolded player. His three years in college showed his athleticism and ability to finish at the rim.
But that is why he gets docked down in my book. He is older than most of the players in this Draft and he does not have the skills necessary to be successful in the NBA as anything more than an energy guy off the bench. Someone is going to take him likely in the top-5 of this Draft, and I just do not see it.
At least that high in the Draft, Toppin is going to give a team energy and someone who can play fairly quickly. But he does not have an outside shot and his athleticism advantage from college is now gone.
The Magic’s targets at 15
12
Aaron Nesmith G/F
The players on this slide are the players the Orlando Magic are probably hoping for and targeting if they stay at No. 15. And there is probably no bigger dream scenario than Aaron Nesmith falling to them.
Nesmith checks off a lot of boxes for the Magic. He is not a hulking or length freak like the players the Magic have draft previously. But he does have a positive wingspan and that certainly plays in his favor.
The main thing Nesmith does and does very well is shoot. He made 52.2-percent from deep last year and 41.0-percent for his two-year career at Vanderbilt. Adding to the lore was the way he scored those threes. Last year especially, Jerry Stackhouse ran a lot of NBA sets for Nesmith and he proved adept at running off screens and finding space to get his shot off.
The biggest downside to Nesmith is that he broke his leg last December. It will have been more than a year since he last played when he arrives to whatever team drafted him. There are always concerns about rust and conditioning. Nesmith might not make the immediate impact everyone would hope for a shooter.
13
R.J. Hampton G
R.J. Hampton was one of the top high school players in the class of 2019. If he had gone the traditional route and played well in college, he would be someone considered among the top picks in the Draft. Instead, he opted to play in Australia and turn pro. He struggled a bit playing in the new environment and his draft stock plummeted.
But all that talent is still there. And he still showed enough flashes of it in contributing to his team, the New Zealand Breakers, to make someone believe in him. Hampton is the kind of high-upside swing a team drafting at No. 15 should be taking.
Hampton has a great first step and can get to the basket whenever he wants. He still needs to improve finishing through contact and passing out of those drives. But this is always something a team can build upon.
So too is his reported improvement as a shooter. His outside shooting was poor in Australia. But he reportedly spent his quarantine/hiatus working with Mike Miller and the reports are encouraging, even if he is not a reliable shooter out of the gate.
14
Kira Lewis Jr. PG
The Orlando Magic have put their draft focus on intangibles and things no one can teach. Orlando has long believed it can teach young players to shoot and add skills through player development. They look for players who have something measurable — like length — that they can mold how they want.
So it makes sense to me that in this year’s draft they need to focus on another intangible skill. And I think it makes a lot of sense to focus on speed — especially as the team continues to try to promote pushing the pace and speeding things up offensively to make up for the team’s lack of shooting.
There may not be a player at the top of this draft with more raw speed than Kira Lewis. That is his intangible skill. And while it is not elite speed — like John Wall or De’Aaron Fox, for instance — it is still more than enough to make some ground and make an impact.
Lewis is a decent shooter — 36.6 percent from three in college and 80.2-percent from the foul line — and he did a good job controlling pace and scoring around the basket to hit 18.2 points per game. More importantly, Lewis gives the Magic a skill set they do not otherwise have. That might be the most important thing.
15
Cole Anthony PG
Cole Anthony is in a similar spot to R.J. Hampton. He was one of the top recruits in the class of 2019 and seemed destined to be a high lottery pick. But he struggled at North Carolina — even playing through a torn meniscus at one point — and teams soured on him.
Again, with the 15th pick, if there is a player with star potential, they have to consider him and consider him deeply. Players slip through the cracks. They may have picked the wrong college situation.
Anthony still put up numbers — 18.5 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game and 5.0 assists per game — but he was very inefficient. Something was just off with him as he tried to carry a poor North Carolina team.
Still, all the skills are there. He has a good first step and can get into the lane and finish with contact. He had to shoot a lot off the dribble, and there is at least some suggestion he would be a better spot-up shooter. He has to improve his passing consistency, but he can make some incredible passes as a lead guard.
Anthony has the size and the talent the Magic are certainly looking for and should be strongly considered for this pick.
More Targets
16
Tyrell Terry PG
Tyrell Terry is probably the biggest riser in this Draft process since the league went on hiatus and closed ranks for the virus. Teams are probably valuing skill a lot more and the reports of his work ethic along with what he could do on the floor with Stanford and that has Terry rising.
Not to mention, Terry has done his work to add muscle and strength to make up for his slight frame. That has gotten him out of the second round and comfortably into the first round.
Terry is a shooter, plain and simple. He is crafty with the ball and able to finish around the basket. He keeps defenders off balance with his ability to pull up on a dime and hit from anywhere on the floor. He is not an elite escape artist with his dribble, but he knows how to create space to get his shot off.
This is the exact skill the Orlando Magic need. And despite his small size, something the Magic usually shy away from, his skill is something they likely cannot look past.
17
Tyrese Maxey G
Tyrese Maxey is another player who has risen a lot in draft conversations among people who follow the Draft. Some of it might be the reputation Kentucky has gained from the NBA Playoffs this year — Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray and Tyler Herro all did work to sell the program.
Personally, I just do not see it. Maxey is skilled at getting into the paint and can get off his own shot. He is probably a better shooter than his stats would suggest — 29.2-percent 3-point shooting, but an 83.3-percent free throw percentage. But that low number concerns me. It takes work to shoot that poorly from the college line, at that.
Maxey will be able to get into the paint. He is good at finishing around the basket. He is a solid defender with the potential and physical attributes to continue getting better.
But Maxey does not pop off the screen to me. I have him rated lower than most.
A bit of a reach
18
Precious Achiuwa PF
Precious Achiuwa has a lot of the skills teams want defensively. He averaged a double-double in his lone year at Memphis and stepped into the role that was likely reserved for James Wiseman.
The issue with Achiuwa is that he does not pop off as a game-changing defensive player. Nor does he have the shooting chops you would expect. He shot worse than 50-percent while playing center for Memphis in college. Achiuwa does not have the varied skills that make him a viable pick, especially for the Orlando Magic.
19
Aleksej Pokusevski PF/C
If you are looking for the dark horse, who is this guy, European starlet in the draft, meet Aleksej Pokusevski (just click that video analysis link). The video on this guy is similar to the video of Giannis Antetokounmpo when he was going through the Draft process.
Pokusevski is a 7-foot forward with a plus-wingspan and the mobility and fluidity to play off the dribble. He is comfortable coming around screens and making plays off the bounce. That sounds tantalizing. But like Antetokounmpo, he was playing against some very weak competition. Nobody knows if this guy will translate. Someone will take the risk.
20
Saddiq Bey G/F
There is a lot to like about Saddiq Bey. He is a good player who can shoot from the outside and knows how to play within himself. That is valuable, especially for players taken late in the draft.
Bey was a fantastic defender for a great defensive coach at Villanova. And that will translate. Teams like that from him. Bey probably tops off as a 3-and-D player off the bench who can make spot starts. And I have some concerns that his extra weight and bulk will hurt his lateral quickness against NBA players. But Bey is a solid pick who will help any team.
21
Jahmi'us Ramsey G
Jahmi’us Ramsey is one of the top scorers in this Draft, averaging 15.0 points per game and shooting 42.6-percent from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-4 guard is a dynamic scorer. But that is about it. And his lack of length and size are certainly demerits when it comes to the Orlando Magic.
22
Theo Maledon PG
Theo Maledon is just a solid player overall. He does not do anything spectacularly, but he knows how to use the tools he has to create space and get into the paint. That is valuable, especially for a team in the middle or late stages of the first round. But he does not have a high ceiling. Maledon tops off as a backup guard. Which is fine for what he can provide.
23
Jaden McDaniels F
The Orlando Magic like players with extreme length. Jaden McDaniels appears to be the player who measured with the longest wingspan in the NBA Draft Combine (or the virtual one). So we have to put him on our board.
I am not a big fan of his. He is all raw prospect and not a lot of tangible value. He averaged 13.0 points per game but shot just 40.5-percent from the floor. That might be a bridge too far even for a team that likes drafting guys on pure potential.
Don’t worry there is more draft coverage to come. We still have a few player profiles to get to and we will have a full mock draft set for Draft Week!