Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

2023 Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft 1.5: Magic fans take a stab

By Philip Rossman-Reich

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 03: Guard Gradey Dick #4 of the Kansas Jayhawks handles the ball against guard Pop Isaacs #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half of the college basketball game at United Supermarkets Arena on January 03, 2023 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - JANUARY 03: Guard Gradey Dick #4 of the Kansas Jayhawks handles the ball against guard Pop Isaacs #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half of the college basketball game at United Supermarkets Arena on January 03, 2023 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 7
Next
Ausar Thompson
Dec 9, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; City Reapers guard Ausar Thompson (0) shown during the game against the Cold Hearts at Overtime Elite. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

2023 Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft 1.5

Other Candidates

100. . G/F. Indiana Pacers. Ausar Thompson. 7. player

Mock Draft 1.0 Pick: Amen Thompson

8. player. 142. . PF. Washington Wizards. Taylor Hendricks

Mock Draft 1.0 Pick: Taylor Hendricks

The decisions are going to get tougher and the Orlando Magic’s most likely pick by the odds is the seventh pick. So fans seem to be pretty pleased with the options they will have.

Gradey Dick could easily fall to this spot and give the Magic the shooter they need. Ausar Thompson or Cam Whitmore could be high-potential scorers who can continue developing their shot to add to this core. Or there is the favorite hometown forward in Taylor Hendricks.

Hendricks has been getting a lot of support as fans begin to think about gaming this draft.

118. . SF. Utah Jazz. Cam Whitmore. 9. player

Mock Draft 1.0 Pick: Anthony Black

The Orlando Magic have several needs — both positionally and skill-based.

With Jonathan Isaac’s future still somewhat uncertain and Chuma Okeke struggling, there is definitely a need for another big. And so a lot of fans throughout this exercise have mentioned the desire to draft a big wing with the first pick and focus on shooting with the second pick.

That might explain a vociferous group that favors a player like Whitmore or Hendricks with the first pick over a sharpshooter like Dick. It certainly makes clear the options ahead of this team.

Cam Whitmore is the surprise drop in our draft (I had Amen Thompson dropping in my first mock draft to some criticism). Someone always drops. Good luck predicting who it will be.

But it is hard to see Whitmore being that guy. He averaged 12.5 points per game and shot 34.3 percent from beyond the arc.

His supporters would say that he had to work on the ball more than he should and that his catch-and-shoot numbers are better. His detractors would note he averaged 70.3 percent from the foul line. That is usually a sign that shooting will not translate to the NBA.

79. . G. Dallas Mavericks. Anthony Black. 10. player

Mock Draft 1.0 Pick: Jarace Walker

With the final pick before we really dive into the Chicago Bulls’ pick, the people have voted on Anthony Black, the defensive-minded guard from Arkansas. Although there were plenty of protestations for his teammate, Nick Smith, a more proven scorer although he dealt with injuries throughout his lone year at Arkansas.

These votes are getting narrower and it seems very possible the Magic will be pleased with who they get. Especially if they know they have a second pick in their back pocket.

But it is worth noting here that Twitter has me limited to four choices in these polls. There are obviously more than four options. And the Magic are certainly looking at players not listed here like Keyonte George or Jordan Hawkins — popular choices among Magic fans.

As a point of order then, I selected players for this poll based off my own version 1.0 mock draft and reviewing the best available from ESPN. This is an inexact science.