Orlando Magic Daily Big Board 3.0: Orlando Magic have sat with the prospects

Orlando Magic Daily Big Board 3.0

The Next Tier

There are some interesting players in the next tier of prospects. But there are probably too many questions for them to overcome to become one of the top guys in this draft.

For now, Keegan Murray is probably the most complete of these prospects.

He is a solid defender — although not at the same level as Jabari Smith. He is a great 3-point shooter — although, again, not at the same level as Smith. He has great size for the versatility of the modern NBA.

I would think of Murray as a high-level role player. He would be most successful if he is used like the Phoenix Suns use Mikal Bridges. They do not rely on his scoring or creation — Murray is really good beating up on smaller defenders in the post too — but they need him as a floor spacer, defender and shooter.

Murray will play a key role when he enters the league and should help whoever drafts him to win.

There is a lot to like about Shaedon Sharpe.

He has all the size and scoring ability everyone wants to see from a guard. There is a reason he was the top prospect in the class of 2022 before reclassifying to try to play a year early.

That is the only hang up about him at the moment. He has not played in a year and a half since Kentucky decided to hold him out with the uncertainty over his NCAA eligibility.

Sharpe well could be the best player in this class. But no one has seen him play for so long and there is no proof of what he can do at the next level. All we have is his high school tape.

What that shows is a player who has NBA range and can get shots wherever he wants. He is explosive jumping off two feet and has the size to work around the basket.

Whether that will translate to the NBA remains a huge question mark.

Jaden Ivey and Shaedon Sharpe both have the potential for stardom. That much is abundantly clear. Jaden Ivey has drawn some comparisons to Ja Morant with his size and ability to finish with force at the rim.

Ivey has a lot of those attributes and is the kind of dominant guard that teams like to build around. There is a lot to like about him.

But there are plenty of reasons to be concerned too. He struggles to finish at the rim consistently beyond his highlight-inducing dunks.

His other point guard skills are also pretty lacking. Ivey had a low assistant number and was an inconsistent shooter.

For me, something does not fit my eye with Ivey, even if I acknowledge his talent and potential.