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2023 Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft 1.0: One book closes, another one opens

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Jan 25, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights forward Taylor Hendricks (25) drives to the basket against Houston Cougars forward Jarace Walker (25) during the first half at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights forward Taylor Hendricks (25) drives to the basket against Houston Cougars forward Jarace Walker (25) during the first half at Addition Financial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports /
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DES MOINES, IOWA – MARCH 18: Gradey Dick #4 of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 18, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IOWA – MARCH 18: Gradey Dick #4 of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 18, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

2023 Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft 1.0

Orlando Magic’s first pick

Orlando Magic. Gradey Dick. 6. player. 38. . SG

The Orlando Magic holding two picks in this draft puts them in an interesting position. They can obviously do a ton of things with the two picks to move around and even out of the Draft. Orlando is clearly entering win-now mode and trying to build a team that can help them make the playoffs next year.

The Magic’s needs are still pretty simple.

They need shooting. A goal of mine for the Magic on draft night is to come away with a shooter one way or another — whether that is with a pick or via trade.

But they also need more depth. The biggest problem for a lot of the teams at the bottom of the standings is a general lack of depth and the reliability of their bench. That is why Orlando really struggled with injuries. When players went down, they seemed to get stretched thing with players they could not rely on.

Some of that is youth. Players just need more experience. So if there is a sense Orlando is not about to do anything crazy or remain fairly conservative this offseason, it is a recognition the team should get better.

So what would the Magic do at this spot?

Sometimes the answer is simple and should not be thought about too much. They should take care of their shooter and take the best shooter in the draft in Gradey Dick. Who cares if that is higher than the other mock drafts?

Dick scored 14.1 points per game last year for Kansas and shot 40.3 percent from beyond the arc on 5.7 attempts per game. He made 85.4 percent of his free throws.

This is by far the best shooter in the draft and someone who should step in and be able to hit from NBA range.

The reason why there might be a pause is that Dick really is just a shooter. He is probably not going to be able to attack off the dribble and his defense is going to need some work and some cover.

But if the Magic feel the shooting will translate, this is the time to go ahead and address this need. Shooters can fit anywhere and the Magic should feel confident in the defenders they have around him — they did finish sixth in defensive rating from Dec. 7 to the end of the season — to cover for him.

They need a volume 3-point shooter and constant threat and no player in this draft class looks like that quite like Dick.

Orlando certainly could wait. There are some solid shooters who should be available with the 11th pick. And the team has some needs at forward it could fill with a Jarace Walker or Taylor Hendricks.

But sometimes you just need to take care of your needs. And we all know how much shooting matters.