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

Orlando Magic Daily Big Board: The Secret Stars

Who emerges as the surprise?

Inevitably in every draft, the pre-draft big boards do not reflect either how the draft actually shakes out or who becomes the best players in the draft. This is all just guessing.

What should be clear from the way I have broken down prospects at this point of the big board, I think the biggest needs for the team are scoring and shooting. Pretty simple, right?

But more than that, the Orlando Magic need star power. The team needs a player who it can truly build around. And that is the big thing the Magic were hoping to get in lining up for a top pick in the draft. Thus the ultimate disappointment of falling to No. 5.

Now, the team has to do the difficult task of trying to find that star where others do not see one.

Throughout the draft process, I have always said the team should go after whomever Jeff Weltman identifies as a top star. If that means trading up, trade up to get him. If that means bucking the convention of the “big board” passed around the media to take that player at No. 5, take that player at No. 5.

What is clear from looking at this draft class is that there are talented players who could prove to be stars that nobody is thinking about right now. They comprise our next group on the big board.

The groundswell for James Bouknight among the fan base is certainly a real thing. Fans are very eager to add a player like Bouknight, who was a straight scorer for the UConn Huskies before an elbow injury sidelined him after 15 games.

Bouknight’s shooting numbers do not look good for that reason. He often had to force offense too for an undermanned and struggling UConn team. But his scoring numbers are pretty prolific. If there is a player who could sneakily be an All-Star out of this class, Bouknight is certainly the guy.

He is an excellent scorer at all three levels with the athleticism to finish above the rim too (although he is not an otherworldly athlete).

Drafting Bouknight would be picking a player who is a clear scorer and someone the Magic believe can fit in as an on-ball attacker.

When it comes to finding players with star potential, it is about finding players with unique and exceptional skills. Players with elite skills. This is the biggest thing the Orlando Magic are missing right now. Jonathan Isaac is a potential all-defensive team player. R.J. Hampton has had some flashes as a speedster.

But it is hard to find players with elite talent or skill levels.

In steps Keon Johnson. The man who set the NBA Draft Combine record with a 48-inch max vertical leap and is one of the fastest players in the Draft. Johnson is going to demand people notice him just by that end-to-end speed and athleticism.

When he gets to the basket and is able to hang in the air, he looks as good as any player in the draft class. The speed and athleticism he displays are as good as anything.

But the game is not played in transition all the time. The game slows down in the half-court. And this is where Johnson struggles. His shooting is a major concern as a sub-30-percent 3-point shooter and about a 70-percent free-throw shooter.

That might be what gives a team like the Magic pause in drafting someone like Johnson even if he fits in well as a shooting guard in the lineup. But Orlando needs more shooting than anything.

Moses Moody has long been a favorite prospect of mine. He has good size to play defense and he is already a knock-down shooter. For many, he is the perfect 3-and-D prospect in this draft. His long wingspan means he can grow into becoming a strong defensive player and his ability to shoot in multiple ways makes him valuable.

His issue is that his ceiling seems low — although it certainly could be better than being a simple 3-and-D player. Moody is not going to be a top option offensively.

In college, when defenses closed in on him off the dribble, he tended to struggle. His best role will be coming around screens and doing simple one- or two-dribble pull-ups against close-outs.

Moody may not ever become a starring player. But he is a really solid role player to have in hand. And for an Orlando Magic team without shooting, he would desperately fill a need.

Similar to the argument for drafting Keon Johnson, the argument for drafting Josh Giddey is about the uniqueness of his talent. Giddey is a 6-foot-10 point forward who has had a lot of success at the pro level already, leading the NBL in Australia in assists last year.

Josh Giddey is very much like Ben Simmons, although not nearly as good in any area. Giddey is solid at getting into the lane, in transition and in running a team. He is a point guard in a forward’s body.

The rest of the equation for Giddey is still a mystery though. He is not a great jump shooter at this point (although there are hints he is getting better). And the main thing with Giddey is the uniqueness of his passing ability at his size.

The Orlando Magic already have a guard who struggles to shoot in Markelle Fultz and Josh Giddey’s lack of shooting is a major concern. It would be hard to bring in a player like Josh Giddey with that and without a secondary skill as Scottie Barnes has.

There have not been a lot of centers listed on this big board. After Evan Mobley, the number of big men starts to thin out in this class. But Alperen Sengun deserves a closer look.

He is not as versatile as a player like Mobley, but he has all the understanding to be a modern center. He is very good at using space in pick and rolls and timing his rolls and short rolls to get himself open. Sengun is also a really skilled low-post player and offensive rebounder.

Sengun has to develop his jump shot more to earn a starting spot. But he is a solid player and a good option at center.

Alperen Sengun may not be enough to displace players like Wendell Carter or Mohamed Bamba from the Magic’s rotation. And it would not make sense to grab a third young center without getting rid of one of the two ahead of him.