The Magic are picking 5th. Who you got? (First pass)

[Nemesis21]

I think we should trade down with Charlotte, get #9 and #39. Draft Turner at #9, flip #39, #51 and one of Harkless/Nicholson to move up into the bottom of round 1, draft RJ Hunter/Terry Rozier/Tyus Jones/Olivier Hanlan with the late 1st round pick.

[Orlwillbeback]

only thing holding me back from being 100% sold on hezonja is im unsure whether he'll come over and stay. He may just finish out his rookie deal and leave.

[G-Heel]

Take Mario and hope Gordon will turns into the defensive 4 we need.

[Bensational]

Take a wing if they look like they could become an unstoppable offensive option, otherwise take a big.

Trill's defensive potential could be a real game changer the way Gobert was for Utah. and after an elite superstar scorer, i think an elite defensive presence is atop the list of priorities in ranking BPA for me.

I don't think a guy who changed his middle name to "trill" aligns with what the Magic look for in high character individuals. Plus at 5 that would be a slight reach, would want us to trade down if they really want to get "trill".

yeah, i agree that the name change thing is a bit odd, but it might just be a little bit of flair and might not represent his attitude towards the game. i mean, it's not like Henny held Payton's hair against him, lol.

i don't care much for trading down as long as we get the best player at our position. look at Nerlens Noel slipping to #6, he **** all over any drafted before him other than Oladipo. Look at Payton dropping to 10th but showing he's a top 5 player in this draft. and i don't think Henny is one to care about that either, given he took A.Gordon #4 who many mock drafts had slipping to 7-10.

[Ducklett]

Taking A. Gordon at 4 has been one of the worst mistakes of Henny's tenure though.

[magicship]

I think it should be Winslow. Trill has character issues and Porzingis looks like the next Jan Veselý too me. I think with the right coach, this team of Payton, Oladipo, Gordon, WInsolw could be a beast in the future. Also, Payton-Gordon-Winsolw all played together on the u19 team and won Gold. I think having that prior experience would bold well for team chemistry in the future.

[cedric76]

I love Winslow but he is a sg/sf butler 2.0
We unfortunately don't have space for him unless we plan on trading dipo which I wouldn't mind

If we d trade Noel for dipo then I d gladly draft Winslow

[Orlwillbeback]

Not a single vote for johnson? Seriously? Someone tell me why

[MagicStarwipe]

We really needed to be in the top 3. I'm not sure any BPA at 5 projects to be any better than our current starting options. That's why I'd be tempted to just take need (WCS) or trade the pick entirely.

[Neon1]

Get Thibodeau, Trade the pick for Kenneth Faried and call it a day.

PG Payton
SG Oladipo Fournier
SF Harris Fournier Gordon
PF Faried Gordon Harris
C Vucevic Frye Dedmon

[MagicStarwipe]

Not a single vote for johnson? Seriously? Someone tell me why

Maybe because of the tournament? *shrugs*

I'm warming up to Stanley Johnson as well.

[Truth24]

Not a single vote for johnson? Seriously? Someone tell me why

Stan was ranked ahead of Winslow all throughout the season up until the tournament when he started getting hype. Check a lot of mocks before the tournament and you will see stan slotted where we are and Justise where Stan is now, they just switched spots because of that run.

[MagicStarwipe]

I see more upside in Johnson than Winslow.

[Truth24]

I mean they are very similar players just slightly different.....Stanley is taller, weighs more, and is longer.....Winslow is more athletic.....They both play top notch defense and have been praised as such.....They both struggle shooting the ball, but Johnson developed a mid range game and is a better set deep shooter.....They both are good ball handlers, have decent vision, and are excellent movers without the ball.....Winslow is a better finisher in the paint but Johnson has the tools to be a better finisher.

So I don't really know why Winslow has gotten this huge jump but I think they have just about equal upside I just personally prefer Johnson because he is bigger and a better shooter right now.

[Skin]

So this is the declaration thread? mmmk.

After a lot of deliberation, my choice for the Magic is Willie "Trill" Cauley-Stein!

Let's see if he covers the bases for what Henny looks for:

Top Tier Defender - check
Highly Athletic - check
High BBIQ - check
Team Player - check
Hustles on the court - check
Hard Worker off the court - check
College Upperclassman - check
Has shown an improvement trend - check
Plays above the rim - check

Let's see if his weaknesses are ones that Henny has forgiven in the past:

Needs to improve offensive game - yep! Henny don't mind

All things considered I would draft WCS if I were in Henny's shoes. WCS is a safe player. You know what you will get. WCS will add a nasty streak to a team that needs more of it. WCS fits!

We are 1 of 2 teams in the entire NBA that has 3 players that averaged over 17 ppg. The Bulls (Rose, Butler, Gasol) and us (Oladipo, Harris, Vucevic). What this team needs more than any other thing is a defensive force like WCS. Dedmon is not that player. Dedmon is a post defender only. WCS can defend 1-5. Trump.

Our shooting will suck if we take WCS? First off, Henny and I (yes, we're a team lol) aren't banking on Payton and Dipo struggling with their 3 ball forever. Two, we're re-signing Harris. Three, Gordon is gonna open eyes. ...and Four, RELEASE THE FRYE!!!! Oh and one more thing... our ability to attack inside will open up better shots outside.

WCS isn't the perfect player, but at the 5th pick, we can't be greedy. Draft him and laugh it up all the way to the bank!

[shadrock]

Ok ive changed my mind once again and now think we need to take the best defensive player in the draft and our anchor by getting WCS. I think he would be the PERFECT compliment to Vuc, and kind of firms up everything that we do. We have had numerous conversations over the past few weeks about Vucevic and the kind of guy to pair him with, and we all agree that finding that Serge Ibaka type player is so hard to do. And while I understand WCS isn't going to stretch the floor, we wont need him to as Vuc has his jumpshot. It would be a perfect balance, kind of like Zach and Gasol in Memphis, or DeAndre and Blake in LA. He would make everyone else on the team better simply by being on the floor. The traps we could set with AG, Elf, and WCS would be mind-boggling. I get a lot more excited thinking about our team with WCS than I do with almost any other player in this draft.

[MagicStarwipe]

Right now I'm all about Stanley Johnson, WCS or trading the pick.

[OrlandoDream]

You take the BPA so we draft Winslow. Anybody who has watched this guy play knows he will be a stud. Too risky to pass him up for some overseas prospect who we know nothing about except youtube videos.

[Howard Mass]

Here's how I think The top-4 are going to go.

Minnesota- Towns
L.A. Lakers- Okafor
Philadelphia- Russell
New York- Cauley-Stein

Call me crazy but I can see Cauley-Stein going 4. It is also possible Philadelphia goes with Mudiay at #3.

If Cauley-Stein were available at #5, I'd strongly consider him but The Magic do want a stretch 4 which he is not.

This leaves The Magic choosing from Justise Winslow, Kristaps Porzingis , Mario Hezonja, Stanley Johnson and possibly some other bigman options like Myles Turner, Kevin Looney, Trey Lyles, Booby Portis, Sam Dekker, etc.

If Mudiay slips to #5, I can see The Magic trying to trade down to get some value and that might be a good idea in this Draft.

I feel Porzingis is too much of a project for a team wanting to take a step up. Hezonja's attitude problems worry me a bit. The others are possibilities to sneak up to #5 but most of them likely mean a trade down.

Regardless, they need to pick the best available as this is hopefully their last high lottery pick and I would go.....

Justise Winslow

[shadrock]

Another comment on the merits of us taking WCS... The strengths and weaknesses of both WCS and Vuc balance each other perfectly. On offence, Vuc is a strong shooter from mid-range, and can score in the post, while WCS doesn't need the ball, sets great screens, and is an elite offensive rebounder. The will both have room to operate, and WCS will be a constant lob threat for Payton to try and find. Just imagine having WCS near the hoop for the lob, Vuc near the elbow waiting to spot up, and Elf just waiting to see which option presents. It could be deadly.

On defense, WCS would be our anchor and an elite shot blocker, while Vuc will be able to play to his own strengths by not contesting the shot and grabbing the defensive rebounds (hes on of the best in the league). Its a match made in heaven.