The Orlando Magic have a lot of needs this offseason.
That is normal for a team that finished as the 8-seed in the conference. Especially a team that was expected to be so much better. And especially a team that lost a 3-1 series lead in the first round.
Everyone can look at the Magic's roster and conclude they needed shooting. That has been the case for nearly a decade as the Magic have struggled to put together a functioning offense.
Shooting was certainly the headline need. But it was certainly not the only issue the Magic face.
They needed more athleticism and stronger rim protection. They need defensive playmakers, especially with the possibility that both Jonathan Isaac and Goga Bitadze would not return this offseason.
There was a lot of pressure put on the 46th pick to fill one of these needs. Perhaps too much pressure. And the focus on shooting has certainly taken all the headlines.
Despite some maneuvering through the second round, trading down from 46 to 51 in a three-team deal that also netted the team cash considerations, the Magic found a player in Izaiyah Nelson who should help with one of those needs.
"This is a guy that makes so many invisible plays," president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman told Dan Savage of OrlandoMagic.com after the Draft. "He gets you so many extra possessions. Great offensive rebounder, runner, hit-first guy. All the things he does are about winning. I don't know how he's going to fill out a box score, but I know he's going to make a team better. That's really all that matters, and he knows that."
It is easy to focus on his lack of perimeter shooting or play (he shot 7-for-49 from three last season), but it is easy to forget that Nelson's energy and rim protection are vital for the Magic, too. He is a pure-energy player whom the Magic believe can find them hidden possessions and make winning plays.
For the 51st pick, that is precisely what the Magic sought out. And if the Magic can get any kind of energy and steal a few offensive rebounds through Nelson, the pick will prove worth it.
A secret need
This is actually a quiet reason the Orlando Magic lost their series with the Detroit Pistons.
The Game 6 loss certainly took all the headlines and was a symbol of the team's weakness. But the team that had more offensive rebounds and more field goal attempts won every game in the series. Against tough defensive teams, finding extra possessions is critical to success.
So too are plays defending the rim. And that is something the Magic hope Izaiyah Nelson can provide.
Nelson is not much of an offensive player. He is not going to step out beyond the arc and shoot. If there was disappointment in this Draft, it was the Magic did not seek someone with that specific skill.
But he will gobble up rebounds, defend both the perimeter and interior and finish above the rim. Those are all skills the Magic desperately need.
"Nelson bounced from Arkansas State to South Florida for his final college season, so strength of competition was never a selling point," Christopher Kline of Fansided wrote. "That said, he’s a pogo-stick athlete with incredible fluidity in space, creating all sorts of havoc on the defensive end. He’s mostly a run-jump kind of scorer on the other end, but can wipe the boards clean and do a lot of dirty work on the margins of a roster."
Nelson averaged 15.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.0 "stocks" per game last year. He led the AAC in rebounds per game. He also added 4.0 offensive rebounds per game. That makes him a constant presence around the rim.
Nelson measured with a 38.5-inch max vertical leap, which ranked seventh among power forwards and centers at the NBA Draft Combine. Finding a versatile and energetic rim-runner was certainly one of the biggest needs for the Magic. Nelson is someone who will finish with force at the rim and protect it too.
Part of why the Magic's defense lagged last year was that the team ranked 15th in the league with a 66.2 percent field goal percentage allowed at the rim during the regular season. They were at 11th and 64.5 percent in the 2025 season when they ranked second in defensiv erating.
Those little changes make a huge difference. And Nelson is the kind of player who makes those little differences. That is what the Magic envision with him.
The new scheme
Coach Sean Sweeney is known for his aggressive defensive schemes. It is not likely that Nelson will remain in drop coverage. The Magic will want him pressing and attacking. That makes him an intriguing fit if the Magic choose to play an aggressive scheme.
That is what the Magic have always looked for. They want long, aggressive, versatile defenders who can attack anyone on the perimeter. Nelson fits into that scheme -- probably far better than the other center options the Magic passed on.
"I came away more impressed after a deep dive into Nelson than I expected, largely because of the versatility he brings defensively," Sam Vecenie of The Athletic wrote. "He needs to find the right coach who is willing to mix and match coverages regularly, as opposed to simply playing out of a base drop-coverage scheme. But there is room to imagine what he could become if he finds that spot."
The question is whether this spike of energy will work at the NBA level. Playing at USF, he was only the second players outside of a power conference selected in the Draft. He has a lot to prove that he can play at a higher level against consistently tougher competition.
Nelson is not the shooter Orlando needs. That will likely come via trade or free agency.
But Nelson still fills a clear need. The Magic needed some more athleticism around the rim and an energy big and rebounder. That was a need on their list. And the Magic successfully got that through their Draft.
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