2023 NBA Draft Orlando Magic Daily Big Board 1.0: The Madness Begins

Orlando Magic Daily Big Board 1.0

The Next Tier

Last Game: 24 points vs. YNG Dreamers (March 7)

Next Game: Season Over

It is still a bit difficult to get a read on the Thompson twins. The league they played in at Overtime Elite was not particularly strong. A lot of people I have talked to describe it as a glorified pick-up game. Maybe it has a little more organization.

But that makes it hard to figure out how much to believe in the stats they accumulated.

Ausar Thompson, like his brother Amen Thompson, is a dynamic athlete. He may be more of a scorer at this point than his brother. That might make him more valuable to the Orlando Magic. But it is all still rough around the edges.

He averaged 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game in the Overtime Elite league. But he shot just 29.8 percent from deep with a few burst games in the mix. So take those stats for whatever they are worth. We will see how much of that translates to the next level.

Last Game: 17 points, 9 assists vs. YNG Reapers (March 7)

Next Game: Season Over

All the same warnings that come from his brother Ausar Thompson apply to Amen Thompson.

Amen Thompson averaged 16.4 points per game and 5.9 assists per game in the league.

Amen Thompson is generally considered the better of the two. He is a dynamic point guard prospect, able to get into the lane. But he is still all athleticism. Even in OTE, he shot just 25.0 percent from beyond the arc.

For now, the athleticism trumps the shooting as he and his brother continue to develop their skills. But that is why the Magic are probably going to hold off with the team set at point guard and needing shooting more than anything else.

Last Game: 6 points, 2/10 FGs vs. Illinois (NCAA Tournament First Round)

Next Game: Saturday vs. Kansas, 5:15 p.m. (NCAA Tournament Second Round)

Nick Smith’s season has been tough to map out. He dealt with a knee injury early in the season, came back, had a minor setback and then started playing well again.

The Arkansas Razorbacks are a 8-seed in this NCAA Tournament largely because of the inconsistency from one of their star players. When he is able to get going, he is a dynamic and athletic scorer who can play both guard positions.

Smith still has to improve his 3-point shot, but there is every indication that it will come. He can get downhill and score in a variety of ways. If his health checks out, Smith could well be who the Magic target with their first pick if they land outside the top four.

Last Game: 16 points, 6 rebounds vs. Northern Kentucky (NCAA Tournament First Round)

Next Game: Saturday vs. Auburn, 7:10 p.m. (NCAA Tournament Second Round)

Jarace Walker may not have the polished skills that other prospects the Orlando Magic are looking for might have. But it is also clear what an impact he can make. And that is just much more polished and developed than anything else.

The NBA will like Walker because he knows exactly what he is and is extremely effective at playing that role. With the Magic picking in this area, they will have to decide whether they will stick with the best player available or look for skills that fit their needs.

With Jonathan Isaac’s future uncertain, the Magic are clearly lacking some at forward. Jarace Walker would be a good player to give the team that defensive stopper on the perimeter and potentially even an undersized backup center. His limited versatility hurts him. But he is far more developed than anyone else at this point, even if he is not the best pick for the magic quite yet.