With the NBA season drawing to a close and the Orlando Magic out of playoff contention, attention has started to turn toward the draft.
The NCAA tournament has given us a closer look at the top prospects in this year’s draft. Having had years of no luck in the lottery and missing out on Cade Cunningham or Evan Mobley last year, the Magic are hoping this year will be different.
The Orlando Magic appear keenly focused on the NBA Draft and the possibility of adding a starring player through the draft. How they fit will be a key determinant for their success.
It would certainly be a good year to get a top pick. There are plenty of exciting prospects that could turn around the franchise’s fortunes. But among all of them, there are three standout big men that the team will be hoping to land above everyone else.
And should Orlando finally get some luck in the lottery, here is how each of the three might fit in on this current roster:
Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: Thurs. vs. Arkansas (7:09 p.m.)
Chet Holmgren’s name has been in NBA circles for a long time. The 20-year-old 7-footer chose to play his college year at Gonzaga and has certainly shown glimpses of why he is regarded so highly.
The word “unicorn” has become commonly used in the NBA but Holmgren is just that, there really is no one else like him. This makes it even harder to evaluate him.
Despite standing at 7 feet tall, Holmgren weighs just 195 pounds. There are doubts that his skinny frame would be a problem in the professional game and his polarising performances in college have done little to quell concerns over his game.
But Holmgren at his best is a superb shot blocker who can also defend the perimeter. He is a good finisher inside and can also space the floor with his ability to knock down threes, while he is also able to handle the ball and create for others. His skill set is versatile and very unusual for someone of his size.
The Magic have not had much luck with drafting big men in recent years. Mo Bamba’s development was slowed by a mix of injury, illness and a reluctant coach. Bamba has yet to truly convince that he can be a starting center on a good NBA team. Jonathan Isaac, meanwhile, has been hurt for much of his career.
Bamba’s future is unclear as he enters unrestricted free agency this offseason. But if he is still on the Magic next year, Chet Holmgren would join a roster of him, Jonathan Isaac, Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter. Bol Bol could also come into Jamahl Mosley’s thinking (Bol is also set for restricted free agency this offseason).
Clearly, it would be tough to play all of these big men together. The team would have to make some tough decisions. Clearly, Holmgren would need plenty of time on the court to develop.
His arrival would likely impact Bamba the most, and it might spell the end of his frustrating time on the Magic. But given the make-up of the roster, Holmgren would likely have to play with another, possibly two, big men.
With his size and shot-blocking ability, Holmgren profiles as a center. That might be his best position in the future when he, hopefully, is able to add muscle to better deal with the bigger centers.
But his perimeter skills and versatility mean he could also play as more of a 4. However, in today’s game of positionless basketball, Holmgren might not even need to be boxed into a certain position.
This year has seen Bamba largely start at the center spot with Carter at the 4, but this has been quite switchable. There have been times where Carter has gone inside with Bamba spacing the floor on offense, and the Magic could run a similar scheme with Holmgren in Bamba’s place next year.
Playing him alongside Carter would provide the team with someone who has shown he can defend bigger centers if needed, while Holmgren could adopt more of a free role on defense where he can use his length and high IQ to disrupt opposing offenses and read plays to get blocks. A bit like Evan Mobley on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
And on offense, the duo could be very switchable. There would be times when Holmgren could go inside to use his finishing ability and Carter can space the floor as he has done so well this year, and vice versa. Holmgren’s shooting ability means he has to be respected and could help the team’s talented young guards to thrive.
With Holmgren’s ability to handle the ball, there is even the opportunity for him to run pick and roll as the ball-handler and create plays.
Holmgren’s arrival would provide a real headache for the team. Stepping into Bamba’s role would make the most sense in the short term. But with Isaac and his elite defensive potential also returning next year, he will need game time too. And Wagner will only continue to improve and demand his time and space on the floor too.
Even early on in the rebuild, a draft pick of this magnitude will have massive repercussions on the team’s ultimate rebuilding plan.
It is tough to see a situation where the Magic play a forward lineup of Isaac, Holmgren and Carter given the offensive limitations, and Wagner certainly deserves to keep his place in the starting five. Someone would have to miss out.