2023 NBA Draft Orlando Magic Daily Big Board 1.5: After the Madness

2023 NBA Draft Orlando Magic Big Board 1.5

The Next Tier

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.

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.

We all know the Orlando Magic need shooting. They need a knock-down 3-point threat to spread the defense out and give driving room to the hard drivers they have on the team. They need shooters. And it would not be surprising if the Orlando Magic use their draft focus on that.

Gradey Dick is probably the best shooter in this draft. And while there are certainly better players available, Dick seems to be the one that fits this team best.

Dick had a solid NCAA Tournament too. He scored 26 points in two NCAA Tournament games, although he had just nine on 3-for-9 shooting against Arkansas’ pair of NBA-ready defensive guards in Kansas’ loss.

Still, the Magic’s need for shooting is abundantly clear and Dick is the best shooter in this draft, capable of hitting shots on the move just as much as from a standstill.

Jarace Walker is the kind of player that could put a team over the top. His defensive skills are abundantly clear at this point. And he is already getting labeled as this draft’s Draymond Green — an undersized forward who plays bigger and with toughness that just connects a team completely together.

Walker was solid in the NCAA Tournament as Houston, like Alabama, bowed out quickly as a top seed. Walker scored 39 total points in three games (including 16 in the loss to Miami) and 27 total rebounds. Those are encouraging numbers and Walker definitely stood out in his quick trip to the Tournament.

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.