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2022 Orlando Magic Draft Preview: Each top prospect’s case for No. 1

By Patrick Previty

Paolo Banchero is among the players Orlando Magic fans are pining for in the NBA Draft. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Paolo Banchero is among the players Orlando Magic fans are pining for in the NBA Draft. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA Draft Lottery
The NBA Draft Lottery has gifted the Orlando Magic the chance to take the best player in the Draft. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

After years of underwhelming finishes in the NBA Draft Lottery, the Orlando Magic landed the number 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.

Now comes a critical month as the Magic sort out which player they will pick to be such a key part of their franchise. There will be lots of interviews and workouts to conduct to get the team to their pick.

President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said the team is going to keep all of its options open at this point. The Magic are going to go through their process to make a selection.

There is no clear top player in the 2022 class. Who the Magic will take or who the team currently favors is still up in the air.

Each of the guys many consider to be the top player in this draft class all have their pluses and minuses to consider.

The Orlando Magic have the top pick in the NBA Draft. Now they have to carefully analyze the prospect sand make the best choice for their team.

The consensus top three prospects are Jabari Smith, a 6-foot-10 power forward out of Auburn; Chet Holmgren, a 7-footer who can handle the ball and was the top player in the 2021 high school class; and Paolo Banchero, an Italian forward from Duke who won ACC Rookie of the Year.

Before the Lottery, the Magic and their fan base would have been more than happy with drafting any of those young men.

But Orlando must now assess which player is worthy of that top pick.

The Magic will need to find the player who can provide them with the top-end talent they need to take that next step.

A player like Smith offers a consistent outside shot the Magic are starving for. But he must find a balance between outside and inside play to fully reach his potential.

Holmgren is a home-run swing and has the highest ceiling in the draft. But he will need to put on weight to avoid being pushed around by bigger NBA bodies.

And Banchero has a natural feel for the game offensively that will allow him to become a prolific scorer but he’s not anything to brag about on the defensive end.

Even with questions on who they will take with the top pick, there is one certainty, the Magic really need to get this one right.