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5 Names to know from the Orlando Magic's Summer League team

The Orlando Magic return to the court for the beginning of Summer League on Friday. Orlando will see the debut of rookie Tristan da Silva and the development of sophomores Anthony Black and Jett Howard along with diving into some other intriguing players on their roster.

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Anthony Black has a lot to prove in his second run through Summer League as he tries to carve a clear place in the Orlando Magic's rotation next year.
Anthony Black has a lot to prove in his second run through Summer League as he tries to carve a clear place in the Orlando Magic's rotation next year. / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
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4. Jarrett Culver

During the 2019 NBA Draft, there were a lot of questions about the top picks. There were no doubts about Zion Williamson, Ja Morant or RJ Barrett. The options in the second tier of picks had a lot of questions—from Darius Garland's injury-filled time at Vanderbilt to what teams could get from Coby White and Jaxson Hayes.

There were not a lot of sucessful Lottery picks after the fifth pick in Garland that year. The sixth pick in that draft is a great example.

Jarrett Culver helped lead Texas Tech to the national championship and made a name for himself in the process. He was a long and skilled defender. That was enough to get him to climb up draft boards, even without a great shooting record.

Culver never found his footing. In his rookie year, he averaged 9.2 points per game in 63 appearances (35 starts) for the Minnesota Timberwolves. But his struggles to shoot held him back.

In four NBA seasons, he averaged 6.5 points per game and shot 27.6 percent from three overall. He got shuttled from the Minnesota Timberwolves after two years to Memphis Grizzlies and the Atlanta Hawks. Culver has struggled to find a home.

Culver though may have found it last year with a bit of a renaissance in the G-League.

He averaged 20.9 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers last year. He even shot 38.0 percent from three on 5.9 attempts per game. That is at least promising that his 3-point shooting is coming around.

Culver has always been an excellent defender. The 6-foot-6 forward has always played bigger than his height. Those are the kinds of players the Magic like to invest in and develop.

There are a lot of draft misses, but NBA scouts rarely miss on talent. No one should expect "sixth overall pick Jarrett Culver" but he still has the talent of someone that good. And that is a reason to be intrigued.

Like with Theo Maledon though, Culver is ineligible for a two-way contract. He is fighting for the last roster spot on the team.

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