Orlando Magic Draft Fits: The Scorer
Jalen Green, G-League Ignite
Cade Cunningham is the runaway choice to be the top pick in this draft. The Orlando Magic are not going to get him as the draft currently stands. And he is the kind of player that pushes others out of the way.
But for the longest time, Magic fans believed another player fit a lot better. That would be G-League Ignite guard Jalen Green.
Green put on a stellar run in the G-League bubble, averaging 17.9 points per game on a tidy 53.7-percent effective field goal percentage. That included games of 20, 22 and 18 points to help get the Ignite into the playoffs and then a 30-point effort in their playoff loss.
The G-League is not exactly known for its defense. But still, the 18-year-old had a lot of eyes on him — not to mention Jonathan Kuminga out with an injury as the season came to a close — and he flourished.
Green has good speed and can get to the basket and finish with a flourish. And he is great at creating space and hitting shots off the dribble. To many, Green is the best pure scorer in this draft and some even believe Green could end up better than Cunningham at the end of the day.
The 6-foot-6 guard looks like he could be the leading scorer for a team.
The Magic need that more than anything else. They need someone who can create his shot and score effectively.
Orlando has not had a perimeter player average more than 20 points per game since Steve Francis in 2005. Evan Fournier was close this year at 19.7 points per game and Hedo Turkoglu was at 19.5 points per game in 2008.
That should give some sense for how bereft of perimeter scoring the Magic have been. It has been 16 years since a guard, forward or wing averaged 20 points per game!
That might be an arbitrary measure. But watching the playoffs, it is easy to see why that kind of scoring ability matters at the highest levels. This was the reason the team chased Vince Carter when it was clear Hedo Turkoglu was leaving in free agency in the summer of 2009.
Magic fans really hoped not just to get the first pick, but to get into the top three so they could pick Green. It was a fantasy, of course. But the fit is undeniable.
Other Options:
Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State: The likely number one overall pick. Cade Cunningham can do everything.
Keon Johnson, Tennessee: Keon Johnson is turning heads with some dynamic athletic numbers at the NBA Draft Combine. He is great at getting to the basket and finishing, even if his shot lags behind.
Ziaire Williams, Stanford: Ziaire Williams leaves Stanford as one of the program’s all-time leading scorers. But his jumper is the biggest concern especially as he scales back from being the primary option.