5 players to watch on the Orlando Magic Summer League
On the Fringes: Daniel Oturu
There are a lot of players on the fringes of the NBA who just need the right opportunity to make it into the NBA. They need the right fit or the right coaching staff to unlock what could make them an NBA player.
Daniel Oturu is on the fringes.
He played 30 games for the LA Clippers in 2021 and three games for the Toronto Raptors in 2022. It was hardly enough time to draw too many conclusions about him.
Last year in the G-Leauge, Oturu averaged 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in 29 games for the Windy City Bulls. That is a strong showing for the big man.
Oturu is interesting because he is undersized for a center at 6-foot-8, 240 pounds. But that also enables him to be a switching big man able to get out on the perimeter. That is at least what Oturu is supposed to be. Teams have at least been nominally intrigued with him.
Oturu is still limited offensively. And that is ultimately why he remains on the fringes — he does not shoot threes and makes only 57.0-percent of his free throws. In this sense, Oturu is likely to remains a player who is good to have in a team context as an energy player. But not someone who is actually going to stick with the NBA.
Other big men to watch on this Summer League roster are Aleem Ford and Jeremiah Tilmon Jr.
Ford had a cameo with the Magic last year and provided good energy in his short time with the team. Tilmon played with the Magic’s Summer League team last year.