Orlando Magic Daily 2021 NBA Draft Big Board 3.5: Thinking about needs with talent

Orlando Magic Daily Big Board: The Big Decision

Jonathan Kuminga or Scottie Barnes?

From a talent perspective, Jonathan Kuminga and Scottie Barnes have clearly separated themselves from everyone else in this class below them.

What was once a five-person class has become a four-plus-one class and increasingly a four-plus-two class. Scottie Barnes has gained that much momentum.

Kuminga or Barnes could easily go before the Orlando Magic select at No. 5 but the conventional wisdom will have the Magic selecting between these two players when it is their turn to pick. And it will be a very difficult decision.

On the one hand, there is the supreme potential that Kuminga could become a star scorer. He already feels comfortable shooting off the dribble and has the body ready to enter the NBA. If he will accept coaching and continues to work to improve his shot, he has a chance to be a really special player.

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On the other hand, Scottie Barnes is a more versatile player. He has the ability to defend every position 1 through 4 and is a smart attacker and playmaker from the forward spot.

Deciphering between these two players will be a difficult task. The positional fit might be awkward with Jonathan Isaac and Chuma Okeke occupying the forward spots, but they both would help the team tremendously in a number of areas.

So where do the Magic land?

I have been wavering in my belief that Kuminga is still the right pick. Plenty of draft analysts believe Kuminga’s shot can be fixed, but they are concerned about his shot selection in the bubble and his disinterest on defense despite having all the physical tools to be a great defender.

Kuminga has a lot of questions to answer during the interview process. And I do wonder how much his knee injury from inside the bubble played a role in some of his poor statistics.

But he edges out Barnes for me because offense and scoring are the biggest needs for the Magic. And with this high of a pick, the Magic should be willing to err on taking a home run swing.

Barnes is a great defender and playmaker. He is by no means a negative on offense. But his poor shooting outside the paint and the sometimes awkward nature of his game, despite his aggression going to the basket, give me pause in trying to find a guy this roster can build around.

Neither player would be a bad pick. And nothing would surprise me if the Magic went off-board and took something they felt surer about as they rebuild this team.