Orlando Magic 2021 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0: Sorting through the tiers

Orlando Magic Big Board Tier V

The Best of the Rest

14

Davion Mitchell SG

NR

Davion Mitchell made the biggest name for himself in leading Baylor to the NCAA title. Mitchell is a tough-nosed defender and heady scorer. The reputation he created in the NCAA Tournament has him climbing draft boards at this part of the process.

15

Franz Wagner SF

NR

Franz Wagner is perhaps the best individual defender in this draft. That is not where his skills stop. He has to continue improving as a shooter, but he can hit from the outside effectively too. Wagner does not seem to have much more upside beyond that — and the Orlando Magic are already pretty loaded at forward unless that player is significantly talented.

16

Ziaire Williams SF

DOWN 7

Ziaire Williams is a capable scorer after averaging 10.7 point sper game at Stanford. His sub-30-percent shooting is the reason why we have him sliding down the board. Williams just does not seem to fit what the Magic are trying to build right now.

17

Kai Jones C

NR

Kai Jones was a big energy boost for the Texas Longhorns. If he got starter’s minutes, he might have averaged a double-double. In a center-starved draft, Jones is likely to go higher than he might otherwise. Jones is athletic and can finish with force around the basket.

18

Isaiah Jackson PF

NR

Kentucky for Isaiah Jackson is the kind of athlete that NBA teams tend to love. He averaged 8.4 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game in 20.8 minutes per game. Jackson does not have much range outside the paint right now.

19

Tre Mann PG

NR

Tre Mann is quickly gaining some momentum as one of the better shooters in this draft. The Florida Gators guard averaged 16.0 points per game and shot 40.2-percent from beyond the arc. That will make him valuable to teams in the long run. The question is whether he has the point guard skills and the NBA athleticism to make it.

20

Usman Garuba F

NR

Usman Garuba has played for Real Madrid since 2019 but is still seeking consistent playing time, as is often the case for young players on elite international teams in Europe. He posted 5.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in Liga ACB and 4.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in EuroLeague. Garuba has good size. But he may need some time to get his legs under him.

21

Ayo Dosunmu SG

DOWN 8

Ayo Dosunmu was part of an Illinois team that was one of the best offenses in the nation. But the Illini’s surprisingly quick exit from the tournament, and the terrible effort in the loss to Loyola Chicago, leaves a lot of questions for the players on that team. Dosunmu should still be a tough guard who can score and get into the paint and space the floor a bit.

22

Chris Duarte SG

NR

Chris Duarte may not spend this long down on this list. He averaged 17.1 points per game and shot 42.4-percent from beyond the arc last year at Oregon. Duarte is 6-foot-6 and has good size to attack the paint and basket. But his ultimate success will come because of his 3-point shot. And as someone likely going later in the draft, he could be a steal.

We will be back with another big board before the draft process after the Magic’s draft order is set. We will also have another staff mock draft after the Lottery takes place.