2024 Orlando Magic Daily Big Board Version 1.0: There's a Draft still?!
Tier 6: The Realistic Targets—Bigs
KelEl Ware Big Board 05.10.24. 21. . Kel'El Ware. Indiana. Kel'El Ware. 482. . 7-0, 223 lbs. player
When the Orlando Magic look at bigs to add to the roster, they are probably looking for someone to fill in Goga Bitadze's minutes. They are probably looking for someone to help protect the rim and be a shot blocker. That is something the Magic do not necessarily have in their center group—both Wendell Carter and Mo Wagner rely more on their positioning.
Kel'El Ware may be one of the better options when it comes to bigs who can protect the rim.
Ware averaged 15.9 points per game, 9.9 rebounds per game and 1.2 blocks per game at Indiana last year. Ware is a great above-the-rim athlete who has shown a willingness to expand his range as a shooter. Ware is the kind of center a team should be willing to invest some in.
Baylor. . player. 6-10, 235 lbs. Yves Missi. 22. 460. Yves Missi Big Board 05.10.24. . Yves Missi
Similar to Kel'el Ware, Yves Missi made his name in Baylor flying around and blocking shots for one of the best defensive teams in the country. Missi averaged 10.7 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game with 1.5 blocks per game. Missi was just big and athletic, able to move across the lane quickly to contest and challenge shots.
Missi's offensive game is still very rudimentary. He is raw. And he is going to fly around and make things happen good or bad early on in his career.
But that is about all there is to Missi's game at the moment. Missi is going to have to learn how to contain that athleticism and focus it to succeed.
23. 38. Tyler Smith Big Board 05.10.24. Tyler Smith. Tyler Smith. . 6-11, 224 lbs. G-League Ignite. . player
Tyler Smith is the last of the big G-League Ignite prospects in this draft and is the toughest one to pin down.
On one hand, the 6-foot-11 forward showed great versatility and ability to stretch the floor shooting 47.6 percent to score 13.4 points per game. He made 36.4 percent of his 3-pointers on 4.0 attempts per game. So there is some stretchiness to him.
He is solid on offense, if not in need of refining his skills for another year in the G-League. What Smith really needs to work on is to improve defensively. Drafting him will require some time even if he can contribute something quickly.
Tier 7: Other Names to Know
24. Tyler Kolek, (Marquette): The 6-foot-3 guard is a true point guard, averaging 15.3 points per game and 7.7 assists per gamef or the Eagles last year. His size and age might be why he slips down draft boards. But he is a solid shooter and player.
25. Bobi Klintman (Cairns, Australia): Bobi Klintman continues the tradition of versatile big wings that the Orlando Magic like. Klintman averaged 9.7 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game in Australia last year.
26. Carlton Carrington (Pitt): Carlton Carrington was asked to be a volume scorer for Pitt and that will not be his role in the NBA. That skews his numbers. Carrington projects to be a solid pull-up jump shooter who can create his shot some.
27. Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois): No one should quesiton Terrence Shannon Jr.'s scoring ability (23.0 points per game and 36.2 percent from three). Shannon can put the ball in the hoop. But he had a suspension rescinded as part of a rape allegation. He will have to answer for that a lot in interviews before teams decide to invest in him.
28. DaRon Holmes (Dayton): DaRon Holmes is an undersized center. But he makes up for it with effort. He gobbles up rebounds and can finish around the basket. His 3-point shot has come a long way in a short time too.
29. Kevin McCullar (Kansas): The Kansas Jayhawks senior has established himself as one of the best defenders in the nation. He stepped up this year too, scoring 18.3 points per game and 4.1 assists per game. McCullar seems capable of filling in anywhere.
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