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.
Orlando Magic Draft Preview: Each player’s case for No. 1
Jabari Smith Jr.
Jabari Smith Jr. is the son of NBA player Jabari Smith who was taken in the second round of the 2000 draft and played five years in the league.
Smith Jr. is the definition of a modern NBA player. He is a tall, dynamic shooter who moves well for his size and can guard multiple positions.
Smith Jr. led Auburn to a 28-6 record last year which was a massive improvement from a 13-14 mark the year prior. Winning in college does not always translate to the NBA but it is a good sign he was a part of a turnaround.
He projects to be a stretch-4 at the next level. And a good one too.
He shot an impressive 42-percent from the three-point line, and 80-percent from the charity stripe. The Magic would certainly welcome those percentages to their team.
And at 6-foot-10 inches, he would be one of the best shooters in the league at that height.
If the Magic took him with the first pick, he would fit right into the offense. He could play off-ball and become a lethal catch-and-shoot player from the perimeter.
Despite his 27-percent usage rate at Auburn, Smith would not need to take the ball out of the hands of the young guards on the roster to make an impact on the court.
His game is full of energy. On offense and defense, he brings it every play, averaging 7.4 rebounds per game, 1.1 steals per game and 1.0 blocks per game.
Jabari Smith Jr.’s numbers will pop off the screen but playing with fellow big man Walker Kessler lowered those numbers.
But that is a huge plus for the Magic as he showed he could play with an anchor down low without clashing stylistically.
At the end of the day, Smith Jr. has the highest floor among the top prospects and is a perfect fit for the young players in Orlando.
If the Magic place an emphasis on making sure they do not come away empty-handed, then Smith Jr. is their guy.
Orlando Magic Draft Preview: Each player’s case for No. 1
Chet Holmgren
Chet Holmgren was ranked the number one player in the 2021 high school class. He is a do-it-all big man who has been called a unicorn by some draft analysts.
The top recruit committed to a Gonzaga team that was undefeated until losing in the championship game the year before, Holmgren provided a unique skill set to the college game. He would have a unique skill set to the NBA floor too.
And despite being eliminated in the Sweet 16, Holmgren showed flashes of why he was the top-ranked player.
Listed at 7-feet tall, Holmgren was extremely efficient offensively. He shot 39-percent from the beyond the arc and 60.7-percent from the field, which was 10th best in the country.
Outside shooting and efficiency were major weak points for the Magic last year. And going with a big man this versatile will help spread the floor.
Getting easy buckets will help transform the Magic’s offense into something that is respectable. That is something the 29th-ranked offense needs. They just need some floor spacing and someone who will command the defense’s attention at all times.
Holmgren was also impactful on the defensive side of the floor.
He averaged 3.7 blocks per game, which was good for fouth in the nation.
Defense is his calling card and if the Magic select him then they would finally establish a clear direction with the team.
Orlando would become a defensive-oriented team by putting Holmgren on the 19th best defense in the league. That may seem pedestrian but considering they had the 29th ranked offense it is impressive.
With Mo Bamba entering restricted free agency, and Jonathan Isaac not seeing the court since 2020, the Magic should not, and will not, eliminate drafting a big man.
Picking Holmgren is a very intriguing possibility for the Magic. He is one of the rarest and most unique prospects to come into the NBA in years.
There is not an exact comparison for him and that is why he is so interesting. If the Magic decide to swing for the fences then Holmgren will be walking on stage first.
Orlando Magic Draft Preview: Each player’s case for No. 1
Paolo Banchero
Paolo Banchero was the leader of Mike Krzyzewski’s last Duke team that went all the way to the Final Four before losing to rival North Carolina.
He was the undisputed best player on that Blue Devil squad. Banchero led the team in points and rebounds while also being second on the team in assists.
In the NCAA Tournament, he rose to the occasion and averaged an extra point and half per game while shooting almost two percentage points higher per game.
For the season he shot 34-percent from the 3-point line. But in the final games of the NCAA Tournament, he shot 10 for 19.
Banchero’s offensive game is smooth and versatile. He can work well on and off the ball, while also showing his own arsenal of moves down on the block.
Paolo Banchero is the best ball handler out of the three and can add playmaking to take the pressure off of Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony.
He has a refined offensive game that flourishes off of ball screens, post moves and dribble drives.
Banchero is the readiest prospect to make an impact in an NBA game today.
And if the Magic want to hit the ground running and speed up the rebuild, they will take the NBA-ready Paolo Banchero.