2023 NBA Draft Orlando Magic Big Board 1.5
Struggles and Questions
The poor performances of several draft prospects in the NCAA Tournament have forced everyone to reevaluate play from around the nation. There just are not a lot of players who are going to get reevaluated and looked at differently.
Cam Whitmore entered the season as one of the top prospects in his high school class. And that talent started to show out as the season came to the end. He has all the tools to be solid in the NBA. But things just did not quite click in Villanova to keep him in the top group.
Similar to Whitmore, Taylor Hendricks probably benefits some from not playing in the NCAA Tournament and struggling in the spotlight. Hendricks had a strong game in the NIT win over Florida — although he struggled with just nine points in the loss to Oregon.
Hendricks gives NBA teams a versatile forward who can work the inside and defend the interior just as easily as he can hit from the perimeter. He is a really interesting prospect.
Before the NCAA Tournament, no players had more to gain in terms of the Orlando Magic than Nick Smith Jr. and Keyonte George. They are both clear fits for the team at the guard position who would give the team some solid shooting in addition to strong defense. That two-way ability is extremely valuable.
But both Smith and George struggled mightily in the NCAA Tournament. And thus we have them falling some in our Big Board assessment (for now at least).
Smith scored 17 total points in three NCAA Tournament games on 6-for-23 shooting. It was not a good showing. The good news was he had his best game in the last one as he scored 11 points on 4-for-9 shooting with two 3-pointers in the loss to UConn.
George had the same issues. He scored only 27 total points in three games on 6-for-29 shooting. George really struggled in these big games. That should not erase a good season for him (just as the injury context is important for Smith). But it was not the best or most encouraging showing.
Anthony Black is definitely not a shooter. He made only 30 percent fo his 3-pointers this season entering the NCAA Tournament. And he, like his teammate Nick Smith, struggled in the tournament.
He was inefficient as he is not a shooter, but he did some heavy lifting for Arkansas that deserves some attention. Black scored 36 points in three games (including a 20-point game in their loss to UConn), although he shot only 10 for 30. His ability to get to the foul line stood out.
Black is still known more for his defense at this point. He is not going to be a great scorer when he gets to the league. But the talent is clearly there.