3. 3-Point Marksman: Kyshawn George, Miami
The Orlando Magic need shooters. There is no getting around it. It is the biggest need the team has.
Orlando was 24th in 3-point field goal percentage and 29th in attempts. Teams packed the paint and dared the Magic to shoot. And at a certain point, the Cleveland Cavaliers were just willing to live with whether the Magic made or missed shots.
The Magic had some players who made shots, but far too much of the team could not hit when it mattered. The team's volume shooters were not strong 3-point shooters—Franz Wagner was sub-30 percent, and Paolo Banchero shot about 33 percent as two of the three highest-volume shooters on the team.
Orlando is going to spend its offseason looking for shooting—Malik Monk, anyone?—and the team will have to find a way to give Jett Howard an opportunity to see if drafting a three-point shooter last year meant anything.
In the end, there is no such thing as having too many shooters. Being able to parade floor spacing threats helps a team resist injuries and provides the team with some real depth. Orlando should not be afraid of adding shooters.
There are not a ton of great shooters in this draft. The draft experts love Pitt's Carlton Carrington as a shooter, but he shot just 32.2 percent from deep although he had to do a lot of self-creation that he will not be asked to do in the NBA.
There are not a lot of knock-down shooters that will slip out of the Lottery—Reed Sheppard and Dalton Knecht figure to be top-10 picks.
Miami wing Kyshawn George is then the guy to watch for the Magic. George averaged just 7.6 points per game but he shot 40.8 percent from three on 4.2 attempts per game. His threes accounted for 68.4 percent of his field goal attempts in his freshman year. He shot 77.8 percent from the foul line, suggesting that his three-point shooting is something that can translate.
His size likely will attract the Magic as he measured really well at the NBA Draft Combine—6-foot-7 without shoes with a 6-foot-10.25 wingspan. And the skill level is something the Magic could use.
George will need some time. He is still developing as a basketball player, so consistency will be an issue. But he is as much of a high-upside swing as there is in this range with a skill that should translate quickly to the league.