2023 Orlando Magic Daily Mock Draft 2.0: The order is set, the lines are drawn
Orlando Magic Daily 2023 NBA Mock Draft 2.0
Magic’s Next Pick
. G/F. Orlando Magic. Gradey Dick. 11. player. 38
The Orlando Magic should have one goal for draft night this year. Draft night will be a success if the Magic get (really) one of two players: Gradey Dick or Jordan Hawkins. But that is a bit reductive.
Simply put, whether it is by a trade or through the draft, the Magic need a shooter. They need to come away from draft night with a player they are confident can develop into an outside threat and floor spacer for their team moving forward.
And that is why Dick and Hawkins are the two big players to focus on, especially with the 11th pick. They are the two best shooters at the top of this draft. And they would seamlessly fit into the Magic’s offense and give them the shooting threat they just simply do not have.
Orlando finished last year 24th in 3-point field goal percentage at 34.6 percent for the season. The team, more alarmingly perhaps but also more understandably, finished 27th in 3-point attempts at 31.1 per game. The Magic need to generate more 3-point opportunities and some of that will come just from having the confidence of more shooters.
Separating both Dick and Hawkins is a bit more difficult than I think a lot of the draft pundits believe. The consensus is that Dick is the better player. He projects as a better shooting specialist and is a smarter player off the ball, especially on defense.
But it is splitting hairs between the two players.
The reason why Dick goes here (we had him sixth in our previous mock draft) is that Dick is going to be a shooting specialist. But that is about all he will be.
He does not project to have much upside to drive off the bounce. And while he is a willing defender, he is going to be someone opponents attack. Hawkins will have his defensive shortcomings too.
But if the Magic come away with one of these shooters on draft night, they will have had a successful evening.