2024 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Jett Howard fills the shooting need

The Orlando Magic had several needs entering the 2023 NBA Draft.

This was a team that had built some positive momentum to the end of the season and started winning more regularly. But it was still overcoming an offense that ranked near the bottom of the league.

The Magic had a clear deficiency with its shooting. As the rest of the league was taking more and more 3-pointers, the Magic seemed to be taking fewer threes. They seemed to be falling behind the curve.

As the 3-point math continued to work against them, the need to come away from draft night with at least one shooter became even more important. Orlando needed a knock-down shooter, maybe even a high-volume shooter to give the offense some punch again.

Still, when the Magic came up with the 11th pick in the draft, everyone was surprised with the shooter they went with, taking Jett Howard out of Michigan to fill this critical need.

Few big boards or mock drafts had Jett Howard going that high, often opting for Kansas wing Gradey Dick. But he was the shooter that fit the Magic’s eye. At 6-foot-8, he had the size the Magic liked in addition to the shooting chops. He would just have to overcome questions about his defense to be the player the Magic need.

The NBA Draft gave the Magic a chance to fill two big needs: three-point shooting and wing depth. Howard can provide all of that with some time to develop in his rookie campaign.

The impact Jett Howard can make in year one is undeniable. He has a great three-point shot which will improve the Orlando Magic from deep at a height that should make him a good presence at all levels.

Howard’s three-point ability immediately stands out for him. It was easy to see while in college at Michigan. In one season at Michigan, he averaged 14.2 points per game on 36.8 percent from three-point land on a high volume of 7.3 attempts per game. In Big Ten play, while fighting an ankle injury, Howard scored 13.9 points per game while shooting 36.2 percent on 7.5 attempts per game.

In Summer League, Howard averaged 13.3 points per game and shot 8 for 20 (40.0 percent) from deep. That was boosted by a 21-point effort in his final game against the New York Knicks. His potential as a bursty shooter and creator off the dribble was on display though in his three-game stint.

One of Orlando’s biggest needs this offseason was the team’s three-point shooting. The Magic ranked 25th in the league in three-point percentage as a team and were 27th in the league in attempts taken per game. Howard is in a position to improve both of those needs.

Howard more than likely will not start immediately. It is going to take time for him to get into the lineup and secure a spot in the rotation. But he provides depth on the wing as well as the guard room.

The Magic addressed this in other ways besides Jett Howard as they got Joe Ingles in free agency. Fellow rookie Anthony Black has the length to play on the wing. But, Howard fills the need for wing depth behind players like Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

One thing to watch out for in Howard’s game is his defense. It was not exactly one of his strong suits in college and it may be one of his development factors.

At Michigan, he averaged fewer than one steal and one block per game. He did play at the guard spot, but a player who is 6-foot-8 should be able to contribute on defense at a high rate.

The Magic claimed he was a better defender than he showed at Michigan because of an ankle injury that slowed him down for much of the season. He certainly has the size to defend at a better level than the other shooters believed to be available in the Draft.

Orlando has also been a defensively-focused team for many years. They have ranked in the top half of the league in opponents’ points allowed per game in three out of the past four seasons. If he wants to find a role on this team quickly, the defensive improvement may be a good step towards that.

Howard also could be more productive on the boards. He averaged a rebound around every 10 minutes of playing time. Once again, at 6-foot-8, he can develop that skill throughout this season.

Orlando was ranked right in the middle of the NBA (15th) in team rebounding. This is not bad, but improvements in rebounding from players like Howard can help them get higher. And getting higher would be their season as a whole. In 2023, six of the top 10 rebounding teams were in the playoffs.

Howard can also use his size to get to the line more often than he did at Michigan. He averaged  2.6 free throw attempts per game in college and it is something he can do.

He can model himself after players in Orlando who get to the line often like fellow wingman Paolo Banchero. The rookie of the year averaged right around 7.5 free throw attempts per game.

Although he is a little bigger than Howard, Howard can develop the dribble drive that allows him to get to that average mark. Granted, Banchero was getting to the line at a historic rate. Getting to the foul line is a key attribute of this Magic team.

Doing this would open up Howard’s offensive game to a different dimension other than the three-point shot. That was something he showed in Summer League. His ability to put the ball on the floor and set up a pull-up was a good changeup as defenses tried closing out on his 3-point shot.

In his rookie season, Howard can immediately contribute off of the bench with a good three-point shot. It has already been defined in college and can translate to the NBA level and help a team that has struggled from beyond the arc in the past.

But in other categories, like defense, rebounding and drawing fouls, he has room for development and improvement. These developments and improvements will not only help his game. But, help the Magic get better as a team too.

Still, shooting is what the Magic brought him in for. And he is very adept at that. If he can provide that floor spacing and volume to the team, he will make the front office smart for “reaching” on him and give the Magic some much-needed offensive punch.