Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft Version 1.0: Postseason run through
81. . G/F. Toronto Raptors. Moses Moody. 7. player
Picked by Philip Rossman-Reich
The Toronto Raptors will be part of the turning point of this Draft. The top five guys are pretty well agreed upon and Scottie Barnes seems like the next guy off the board. After that, there are a lot of players who could turn into really nice players but still have some work to do.
There are no surefire stars coming up here, but definitely, plenty of potential if they find the right role.
Moses Moody has long been the next guy on my board. I like his ability to score off the dribble and he has shown some ability to shoot from the perimeter — going 35.8-percent from deep in college. That was while being the primary scoring option for a good Arkansas Razorbacks team. Moody has all the ingredients to maybe one day become a star.
The Toronto Raptors picking at this spot would be really dangerous. This is not a bad team. They have some playoff-tested guys in Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet. Even if they lose Kyle Lowry in free agency, the Raptors are probably not going away.
They have needs for sure — especially at center. But that is not what this draft is giving them. It is giving them another shooter and scorer and they should take that here in Moody.
Do not let his poor NCAA Tournament scare you off. Teams keyed in on him and Arkansas was just not a strong team around him for the tournament setting. Moody is a capable scorer off the dribble. He just has to show he can do it in spot-up situations.
69. . SF. New Orleans Pelicans. Franz Wagner. 8. player
Picked by Isaac Ryu
The New Orleans Pelicans are in a weird spot.
Lonzo Ball’s restricted free agency, Brandon Ingram’s fit with Zion Williamson and a fairly underwhelming season have raised questions about the current roster.
The Pelicans have several glaring holes. One being their defense. Ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency last season, the Pelicans struggled to contain teams. Two, their 3-point shooting was atrocious. Not only are they shooting far less than the rest of the league (34-percent frequency), they are only making them at a 34.8-percent clip.
That being said, David Griffin is going to need a two-way player who plays well in a system. Franz Wagner is that player.
One of the better shooters in the draft, Wagner will provide the outside scoring the Pelicans sorely need. He shot 38.4-percent from three on 89 attempts which is a big enough sample size to show he is a capable shooter.
Wagner is also a reliable playmaker. While he will not be the main ballhandler in most situations, having a 6-foot-9 forward who is capable of running pick and rolls and capable of making smart reads will alleviate some of the burdens on Williamson and Ingram.
His defense is also nothing to scoff at. He is a smart positional defender who is excellent at reading the defense in the half-court. His presence on the wing as a shooter but also as a defender who rarely makes mistakes will be instrumental in giving the Pelicans the “Swiss-army knife” player that they need.
Overall, he is a solid player that’s more of a safe pick than a gamble.
SF. Sacramento Kings. Corey Kispert. 9. player. 84.
Picked by Jean Racine
The Sacramento Kings select Kispert here with the 9th pick because he is arguably the best shooter in the draft and he is NBA-ready with four years of college experience.
The addition of Kispert will provide the Kings a knockdown shooter to pair along with their talented backcourt trio of De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Tyrese Haliburton.
Kispert is not very athletic and there are some questions about how he will fair defensively in the league. But his shooting and NBA readiness are exactly what the Kings need to make a push for the playoffs next season.