The Orlando Magic are not focused on the NBA Draft quite yet.
The team has held onto its spot in the Play-In Tournament and, with the Miami Heat struggling, seems set to get two cracks at making the playoff field. The concerns about facing the Lottery are not fully extinguished but they have certainly quieted.
There is no ignoring the draft, however. The Magic know they must assess every part of the draft accurately to continue adding and growing this young team.
The Orlando Magic will hold two first-round picks in the upcoming draft—the team's own pick and the Denver Nuggets' pick to complete the Aaron Gordon trade from 2021. Regardless of where those picks end up—entering Tuesday's games, the Magic would pick 15th and 25th—the Magic have to maximize the value that comes from them.
Orlando will be approaching the draft balancing the team's immediate needs to boost this playoff-ready roster and looking to add more talent. The Magic have a type we know that. The question is how much of that type can the Magic break?
For a lot of NBA fans, this is the week when everyone does their crash course for the Draft. Even NBA fans fill out brackets and pay attention to the NBA Draft.
Fair or not, a lot of players can set their narratives one way or the other in the NCAA Tournament. It is the last impression they give and the games where they have the most eyes on them.
Most teams will have a lot of their draft profiles done on players, so the NCAA Tournament should not clinch or reshape opinions or decisions. But these are pressure games, and if teams like the Magic, who are expecting to play in pressure-packed games, want to see how they respond to winning pressure, this is their best bet.
This is also the last chance to see these players in game situations, so it does matter, even if fans probably overemphasize the NCAA Tournament as their entry point into the draft.
This year's draft is pretty top-heavy with Duke forward Cooper Flagg the prize for all the tanking teams. It features a pair of players from Rutgers in Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper who will not be playing in the NCAA Tournament or any of the various college postseason tournaments.
Several international prospects like Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf will be on the Magic's radar in the middle of the first round too.
But the focus today is on the players Magic fans should be keeping an eye on as the NCAA Tournament tips off.
5. Jase Richardson, Michigan State
vs. Bryant, Friday, 10 p.m. (TBS)
If the name Jase Richardson sounds familiar as an Orlando Magic fan, it should. Jase is the son of former Magic wing Jason Richardson. He followed his father to Michigan State and has been one of the guards anchoring the always-tough Spartans team (they are a 2-seed this year).
Richardson averaged 12.0 points per game and shot 51.2 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from three (albeit on a low volume of 3.0 attempts per game). In Big Ten play, he averaged 12.5 points per game but saw his efficiency drop to 48.6 percent overall and 33.8 percent from three on 3.4 attempts per game.
Richardson made a lot more of his work in the mid-range. He is a shifty player, able to change speeds quickly to create space for himself. And he is fast and confident off the dribble. If he can get space, he can create his own shot.
That might explain why his 3-point shooting seemed so off. Michigan State worked him on the ball a lot. He was creating a lot of shots for himself rather than getting catch-and-shoot opportunities.
The biggest concern with Richardson is his lack of playmaking despite his heavy usage and his size. At 6-foot-3, he has the speed to compensate for his lack of size. He gets his shot off quickly. But the Magic always value positional size and versatility. And without much playmaking, Richardson projects as a high-usage scorer and nothing more.
He does not have a lot of assists, but that does not mean he is incapable of making passes or being selfless. He just will not be the star for whatever team picks him.
If he cannot be a better spot-up shooter, that takes away a lot of his value.
4. Kam Jones, Marquette
vs. New Mexico, Friday, 7:25 p.m. (TBS)
Last year, the Orlando Magic went with the trend of taking the experienced senior to add to their growing roster. They wanted someone who could step in immediately and help the team in its playoff push.
Senior Tristan da Silva of Colorado seemed the perfect player. A veteran wing who knew how to defend and could hit outside shots. He would need little work aside from catching up to NBA speed to prepare him for his time in the NBA. It has mostly worked even though da Silva needs more time to mature and grow.
Could the Magic go again for a veteran player? If so, there is seemingly a perfect player to target on that front. There are a few, actually.
Marquette guard Kam Jones has slowly improved throughout his four seasons. He averaged 19.3 points per game and with 5.9 assists per game. He shot 48.4 percent from the floor and 31.2 percent from three. But he has been a career 36.6 percent 3-point shooter.
Jones has plenty of highlights including 18 consecutive points in Maruqette's win over Vermont in last year's NCAA Tournament. He recorded a triple-double in a game this season too with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over NCAA Tournament-bound Purdue earlier this year.
Jones is a 6-foot-4 combo guard who seems like he would be exactly what the Magic ordered. He has good size and versatile skills. He can finish around the basket even if he does not have great explosiveness in his finishes.
The biggest concern is his shooting.
His 3-point shooting has fluctuated throughout his career. But his free throw shooting has remained a mystery—shooting 64.0 percent on 2.6 attempts per game this year and eclipsing 70.0 percent from the foul line in only one of his four seasons.
Scouts often point to free throw shooting as a sign of potential shooting development. And this does not bode well for Jones.
His inability to get to the line throughout his career is also a concern. Especially with how much he drives and created for Marquette this year.
3. Nique Clifford, Colorado State
vs. Memphis, Friday, 2 p.m. (TBS)
Nique Clifford was on nobody's radar a few weeks ago. Colorado State was drifting to an early finish to its season and nobody was noticing beyond the Mountain West Conference. Then the Rams won 10 straight games including three to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament.
Colorado State is in the tournament field and everyone is talking about Clifford.
Clifford averaged 22.1 points per game, 9.0 rebounds per game and 5.1 assists per game. The 6-foot-5 guard (a transfer from rival Colorado after three seasons) blossomed this season, averaging 19.0 points per game and 9.7 rebounds per game with 4.4 assists per game. Clifford shot 50.7 percent from the floor, 39.8 percent from three and 77.0 percent from the foul line.
It was not just this closing kick from Clifford either. He scored 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists in an early season game against Tournament-bound Ole Miss. He had 25-12-6 against TCU in an overtime win.
Clifford is a guard but he has good size and athleticism, able to finish above the rim on the drive and in transition. He has enough hangtime to take and make creative finishes around contact and around the rim.
Clifford has some strong finishes. But he must put on some weight to be a factor at the NBA level. But the instincts and ability are all there for him to get there. He is an athletic wing player whose shot has come a long way and should continue to improve, especially playing alongside a more experienced team.
If it was not for his age, Clifford might be considered a player with Lottery potential. He might still climb that high as it is. Clifford has quickly become the draft experts' favorite sleeper for the middle of the first round.
2. Danny Wolf, Michigan
vs. UC San Diego, Thursday, 10 p.m. (TBS)
Since we already have a former Colorado player on this list, we might as well grab another Michigan player if the Orlando Magic want to return to that well.
7-foot big man Danny Wolf fits a lot of the philosophies the Magic like to pursue too.
Wolf averaged 13.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, putting up consistent numbers in the last two years after transferring from Yale to Michigan for this season. He also added 3.7 assists per game.
That last part is what has helped him stand out in the draft process so far.
Wolf is a smart player who can not only help protect around the rim—with 1.3 blocks per game each of the past two seasons—but also step out to the 3-point line (33.7 percent this season on 3.1 attempts per game) and make plays from the high post as a passer.
Wolf can even handle the ball a bit on the perimeter and was not afraid to attack off the dribble.
The question for a player like Wolf is whether he can bring those skills to the NBA. His 20-point, 8-rebound and 21-point, 14-rebound showing against Deriq Queen and Maryland bodes well going up against NBA-caliber talent.
But Wolf is not the classic over-the-rim center that feels like what the Magic ned right now. They want that lob threat and paint protector. Wolf has a lot of perimeter skills and that is his main attraction. The question will be whether he can bring his athleticism and skills around the basket.
That will be something to watch if Michigan advances deep in the tournament.
1. Egor Demin, BYU
vs. VCU, Thursday, 4:05 p.m. (TNT)
Everyone knows how much the Orlando Magic love players with positional size. They have frequently drafted players big for their position with length and defensive versatility in mind.
Even though the Magic's thoughts toward the NBA Draft should be focused on players who can contribute more immediately or have easily transferrable skills that boost the current team, the draft is still ultimately about potential.
And we know the Magic have a type.
Their type at point guard may be players who do not exactly look like point guard. Players like 6-foot-9 BYU forward Egor Demin.
Demin is essentially the Cougars' point guard, averaging 10.3 points per game and 5.4 assists per game in his freshman year in Provo. He had 18 games of five assists or more and two games with 10 or more assists.
Demin is a solid ball-handler who can keep his dribble alive and feather passes over the defense using his size to keep good vision and see over the top.
Demin is not much of a shooter, shooting only 41.0 percent from the floor and 27.1 percent from three. He does a good job attacking the paint and that is his best skill. Everything else still must come together for him.
But the Magic love their wings with size. And Demin has a lot of skills that check off for the Magic. If he is available, he is an option, even if everyone is calling for Orlando to seek more traditional options at guard.