5 Orlando Magic NBA Draft options for late first or early second round
Orlando Magic Second Round Targets
Joshua Primo, Alabama
A late riser on mock drafts and big boards, Joshua Primo is one of the youngest players in the NBA Draft class and also one of the more promising players.
Primo averaged 8.1 points per game largely coming off the bench for the Alabama Crimson Tide. His shooting splits were nothing special either — 43.1-percent overall, 38.1-percent from deep and 75.0-percent from the foul line.
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The 6-foot-6 guard’s appeal right now is his shooting and scoring potential, both needs for the Orlando Magic. At 18 years old, he is so young that so much of his game is developing.
The 3-point percentage was OK in college, but he shot better than 40-percent on catch-and-shoot threes in the halfcourt. That suggests he can help spread the floor in the half-court when he becomes more fully developed.
He was not used in many other ways besides as a spot-up shooter. But that worked out well for him.
The question will be how Primo handles pressure. He attacked a little off the dribble but was not doing it enough to draw too many conclusions. He also starts his shot motion near his hip. And so Primo will have to be able to get his shot off quickly at the NBA level or else closeouts could come to him too quickly or unnecessarily rush his shot.
This might be a very big question. His biggest value at the moment is his 3-point shooting.
Despite all this, Primo is a solid player with good positional awareness. That includes his ability to work off the dribble and create space for himself or as a defender. He is not a super athlete, but he understands how to create advantageous situations for himself.
Everything with Primo just looks a bit slow because his shots require such a windup. But teams like his defensive understanding and his potential length — he measured at 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan at the Combine.
Next. Davion Mitchell a tough fit for Orlando Magic. dark
Primo’s youth will certainly get him more benefit of the doubt and probably lead to him being just out of reach for the Orlando Magic. Betting on Primo is a bet on that potential and that he can be a stellar shooter in the league.