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

Orlando Magic Daily Big Board: Interesting Options

Who else is in the running?

Corey Kispert might well be the best shooter in the entire NBA Draft. He is good on the move and in spot-ups and he can attack more off the dribble. But Kispert is not going to confuse anyone as a potential star. He will be a great role player and a shooter when he enters the league. And every good team needs one of those.

Davion Mitchell has become a bit more of a darling among mock drafts and big boards as the draft process has continued on. Teams like the Golden State Warriors would rather have a veteran guard they can slide into their lineups quickly rather than a project that would take time to develop.

Everyone has gone to describing Mitchell as a winner. And that national championship he helped lead Baylor to this season certainly suggests that. He is a great defender and a solid scorer and driver. Mithcell is going to make a lot of good plays.

There just is not a lot of upside. Mitchell may end up becoming something like Marcus Smart in the end. That is a good player and Mithcell can get to that level. But he is not going to be a star or be a specialist in anything other than grit.

That is valuable, but not necessarily what the Orlando Magic are looking for at this stage of their rebuild.

Franz Wagner will have a lot of the same issues as the other players on this slide. He is a good player, but a somewhat limited one.

Wagner might be the best defensive player in the draft. And he is a capable outside shooter. Wagner will make a team happy as a role player for their team. But it is hard to see him becoming a high-level starter.

For an Orlando Magic team that has major holes to fill, taking a player with a bit more upside than a 3-and-D guy is valuable. And Wagner’s defense is good but not good enough to guarantee him a starting spot long-term.

Jalen Johnson is an incredible talent and was one of the more interesting players to watch at Klutch’s Pro Day on Tuesday. That was as much because no one has seen him play very much after he withdrew from Duke mid-season.

Johnson’s season was filled with injuries. But Johnson does have star potential. He is an incredible athlete who has good defensive instincts and can finish above the rim in the open floor.

Johnson’s shooting remains a big concern and that is what drops him in the big board for the Orlando Magic, even below players with more upside. The Magic are set at forward and Johnson’s skills do not move the needle for this team at the moment.