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Orlando Magic Daily 2022 Mock Draft Version 2.0: Who is the pick… this week?

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Auburn Tigers forward Jabari Smith (10) takes a jump shot during the first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., on Friday, March 18, 2022. Auburn Tigers defeated Jacksonville State Gamecocks 80-61.Syndication The Montgomery Advertiser
Auburn Tigers forward Jabari Smith (10) takes a jump shot during the first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., on Friday, March 18, 2022. Auburn Tigers defeated Jacksonville State Gamecocks 80-61.Syndication The Montgomery Advertiser /
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Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga Bulldogs
PORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 17: Chet Holmgren #34 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs dunks the ball against the Georgia State Panthers during the first half in the first round game of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 17, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft 2.0

The Other Two Options

149. . F/C. Oklahoma City Thunder. Chet Holmgren. 2. player

There really has been no secret the Oklahoma City Thunder like the uniqueness of Chet Holmgren. They are still an amalgamation of random young players on this team and they are still looking for some clearer direction.

With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the right rookie running alongside him, the Thunder could get better very quickly. And like the Orlando Magic, Sam Presti loves his long bois. Just look at Josh Giddey running point and Aleksej Pokusevski.

Holmgren is a special prospect. There are not many players of his size with his fluidity and timing. As many questions as there are about Holmgren’s body type and his ability to withstand the pressures and pounding of the NBA, he has the skills to make it through.

Holmgren is a stellar shot blocker and is not afraid of the physicality ahead of him. That attitude will go a long way in helping him overcome those shortcomings.

But what makes him special is his fluidity for his size. He is able to attack off the dribble, pull up in transition and then get to the basket and finish with force.

His body will fill out and so a lot of his weaknesses will shed away as he gets older. Oklahoma City always has the patience to wait.

F. Houston Rockets. Paolo Banchero. 3. player. 169.

The Houston Rockets are like the Orlando Magic at the start of their rebuild. They have everything in front of them and only a few pieces they care about. They are working on their building blocks with Jalen Green already in place from last year’s draft.

The chances of pairing two great scorers like Jalen Green and Paolo Banchero together is going to be difficult to pass up.

As mentioned earlier, Banchero is the best pure scorer in this draft. He is the guy a team can dump the ball to and get a basket. And his footwork on the block is exceptionally well.

Banchero is a great scorer and is a better passer than he gets credit for. Banchero is a very complete prospect in a lot of ways.

The questions about his defense and his surrounding skills beyond being a great scorer will be the questions that continually pop up with him.

That is a higher level of questioning for the next phase of a team’s development. His fit with the Rockets alongside Green is certainly a question with two potentially high-usage young players who dominate the ball alongside each other. But that can be a good problem to have at an early stage of a rebuild.