#32: Welcome to Orlando, Noah Penda!

[eyriq]

His defense translates and his low-usage, ball-moving style has him with a high floor. Very low bust rate.

[RookieStar]

If Penda plays 6yrs in the league thats already a smart pick by Weltman.

Guys guys guys... this is a SRP. Temper your expectations. Not every 2nd rounder is a Jokic or Arenas.

[RookieStar]

Anyone here knows the difference between him and CMB?

They sound so similar.

[SOUL]

I looked through Tankathon past draft picks and its crazy how much 2nd round is a crapshoot.. whole draft honestly at times lol. But some years had literally like ONE good second rounder at best and I'm sure back then you had 29 boards yelling at who is the right/wrong pick when 99% of them just sucked lol. Then you have some drafts with like 7-8 good-great players and having to identify them.

[eyriq]

If Penda plays 6yrs in the league thats already a smart pick by Weltman.

Guys guys guys... this is a SRP. Temper your expectations. Not every 2nd rounder is a Jokic or Arenas.

He's a first round grade

[drsd]

It seems clear that the Magic is going to outright sign Penda, and thus, he is Mr 14. What's his role?

That is easy to answer. His role is to be a practice squad player to play hard, physical defence in pracctice. That is: his 2025/26 existence it to work with F-Wagner so that the Ace can perfect his offensive play.

We fans don't see that. But it matters. Penda as a D no-3 player, he is an upgrade over Queen and has a role to play on this team. It is just that the role does not include court time this year.

[ORLMagicGirl15]

Welcome Noah. Welcome to the Magic show. Hope you can see the floor so we can evaluate you.

[Furinkazan]

Id do that deal but for Fleming.Penda ?meh. Whatever.Good luck.

[Furinkazan]

His defense translates and his low-usage, ball-moving style has him with a high floor. Very low bust rate.

sure thats true
still imo 2nd round is a place to go more wild rather than to pick safe with very low bust rate.
But thats fine at least they did something this time instead of cash considerations.

[AdamTheGreek]

Kind of a similar question as with Jase:
Can he IQ and smart his way through athleticism weaknesses?

French league quality of play is spotty, but it’s a physical league.

I preferred Raynaud, but Penda adds to our identity: hard worker, good character, solid passer, willing defender.

There’s some hope with his shooting, but we won’t know until he’s playing against NBA competition consistently.

Isnt the French league the 2nd league behind the NBA on terms of quality?

No. It might get there one day.

Excluding all of the European competitions (Euroleague, EuroCup, etc.), Spain and Italian are still better for certain.

Then it’s really up to preference because you have top heavy leagues like Turkish, Greek, German. The Australian NBL is better than France’s in my eyes.

French league is rising quickly because of heavy investment.

[RookieStar]

Kind of a similar question as with Jase:
Can he IQ and smart his way through athleticism weaknesses?

French league quality of play is spotty, but it’s a physical league.

I preferred Raynaud, but Penda adds to our identity: hard worker, good character, solid passer, willing defender.

There’s some hope with his shooting, but we won’t know until he’s playing against NBA competition consistently.

Isnt the French league the 2nd league behind the NBA on terms of quality?

No. It might get there one day.

Excluding all of the European competitions (Euroleague, EuroCup, etc.), Spain and Italian are still better for certain.

Then it’s really up to preference because you have top heavy leagues like Turkish, Greek, German. The Australian NBL is better than France’s in my eyes.

French league is rising quickly because of heavy investment.

Really? Othet boards been saying that french league is #2 already

[AdamTheGreek]

Isnt the French league the 2nd league behind the NBA on terms of quality?

No. It might get there one day.

Excluding all of the European competitions (Euroleague, EuroCup, etc.), Spain and Italian are still better for certain.

Then it’s really up to preference because you have top heavy leagues like Turkish, Greek, German. The Australian NBL is better than France’s in my eyes.

French league is rising quickly because of heavy investment.

Really? Othet boards been saying that french league is #2 already

Athletically, sure. But skills, X’s and O’s, overall talent, it’s not there yet.

[AdamTheGreek]

Read on Twitter

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That suit will age fantastically if he has success here. Magic pinstripes.

With the #93 (French district), once he plays a second on the floor in a regular season game, it will be our highest jersey number in franchise history. Currently it’s still #55.

[KillMonger]

ChatGPT on the level of competition in the league he played in

While NCAA Division I showcases immense young talent, LNB Pro A is a step above in terms of professionalism, experience, and tactical complexity. Comparing it to college ball is a bit like comparing graduate level in a real-world job to undergrad internships:

College (NCAA DI): High upside, raw athleticism, less experience.

LNB Pro A: Direct Real–money contracts, tougher competition, strategic depth.

In short: LNB Pro A is notably stronger than NCAA D-I overall, especially because of its seasoned professional players—making Penda’s performance there all the more impressive.

[eyriq]

His defense translates and his low-usage, ball-moving style has him with a high floor. Very low bust rate.

sure thats true
still imo 2nd round is a place to go more wild rather than to pick safe with very low bust rate.
But thats fine at least they did something this time instead of cash considerations.

Honestly, I can’t pretend to know exactly how he’ll pan out. What I do know is that forwards who defend multiple positions, keep the ball moving, and don’t require touches almost always carve out rotation minutes. That archetype tends to have one of the safest floors overall.

[RookieStar]

Sooo... no one here can compare hin with CMB?

[Skybox]

Kind of a similar question as with Jase:
Can he IQ and smart his way through athleticism weaknesses.

Fair question to ask.

Generally speaking, I trust really high BBIQ guys to figure out how to overcome their physical limitations and maximize their development path than I do physical freaks trying to learn on the fly how to play winning basketball.

Same.. we saw it with JJ and Jingles.. can we see it with Jase and Penda?

Yes. BBIQ IS EVERYTHING…we have talent, we just need guys that connect it all & organize it into a cohesive vision.

I’m going to assume he’s Draymond (or at least Diaw) until proven otherwise.

[Skybox]

His defense translates and his low-usage, ball-moving style has him with a high floor. Very low bust rate.

sure thats true
still imo 2nd round is a place to go more wild rather than to pick safe with very low bust rate.
But thats fine at least they did something this time instead of cash considerations.

Given the apparent desperation to get him, Weltman might have a bigger vision for Penda than just “physical defender”…the more I read and watch, he might be more of an offensive & defensive savant…in the Draymond mold. Really interesting guy- if you could put Jingles’ head on Kawhi’s body with Ben Simmons’ 3pt shot…actually, Simmons might be an interesting comp.

[Skybox]

Anyone here knows the difference between him and CMB?

They sound so similar.

My brain is going to explode…who is CMB?

[Knightro]

Anyone here knows the difference between him and CMB?

They sound so similar.

My brain is going to explode…who is CMB?

Murray-Boyles. The guy Toronto picked 9th overall.