Terry was the closest. Fills a lot of our needs, great shooter, has record breaking high BBIQ, has shown growth in his frame, and people liken him to Steph and Trae... but I'm not quite there in those player comparisons... He's not as explosive of a scorer nor did he show the same playmaking ability. Trae dished out 8.7 AST per game. Terry put up 3.2 AST on 2.6 TOV per game and defensively, I still think the 15 pounds he gained is still 15 pounds too light. Sure, Steph and Trae paved the way for similar types to emerge in the future, but you always gotta be careful of the latest craze and comparisons.... When the International craze hit, everyone wanted the next Dirk, Manu, Parker only to end up with Bargnani, Tskitishvili, Darko... When High Schoolers started coming into the league everyone wanted the next KG and Kobe only to get Jonathan Bender, Darius Miles, Deshawn Stevenson, Gerald Wallace (not bad players, but the hit was not as big). That's where I think Terry will lie. Not a bad player, but not gonna meet Steph/Trae levels either.
Pokusevski is a unicorn type talent in terms of potential, but he's so wild, untested and raw that I don't know if WeHam will have the patience. Having patience in 1, 2 even 3 years into their term is one thing... Having patience in year 4, 5 and beyond is something else. They will have to start worrying about their own job security.
Ramsey is an elite physical specimen. One of the youngest in the draft and built like Adonis with a reported 6'10 wingspan... Legitimate shooter, slasher, shot blocker. Getting bashed a little too much for his inconsistent scoring nights, questionable shot selection, looks lost on defense at times. Fills our big need as a lead scoring type. If he puts it all together, he could be the one that we say... Why the **** did we pass on him???
But ok ok enough about the guys I didn't choose and onto the guy I did choose... Mr. Jaden McDaniels.
DRAFT VALUE
I think one of the first things people will ask is....Is 15 too high??? I've had those thoughts myself. I wandered my interest in other players myself, only to come around full circle. I first learned of McDaniels looking at early preseason mocks, and at the time, he was getting mocked in the Top 5 along with other names like Cole Anthony and Vernon Carey... for a time ESPN had him as their #1 ranked HS prospect. I didn't think the Magic had a chance of landing him back then, but with some bumps in the road during his college career which followed the disappointing record that the Huskies had finishing last in the Pac-12, McDaniels saw his draft stock plummet. Was it fair? I have my doubts. Some players are just better suited for the NBA game than the college game. I can't explain it better than Gilbert Arenas did here. It's worth a listen.
On top of that, I have had thoughts about this draft being one that we look back and say, "WOW, A TON OF MISTAKES WERE MADE!" So many people are saying that they don't see it as a good draft. So many are sticking to a board that has very little movement. Early season impressions are holding a lot of weight. The shortened season due to Covid which cut the NCAA Tournament completely robbed everyone of having a very important draft evaluation opportunity. No combine. No workouts. No team visits. Virtual interviews. NBA teams are bound to make more mistakes this year than any other year.
So if you ask me if McDaniels is worth the 15th pick, I tell you that he's the guy I would not pass on and I don't care where the mocks are putting him. In a nutshell, it came down to Jaden giving me the best of all worlds. He has the big man mobility, foot speed and ball handling that drew me to Poku, but won't take as long to develop... He has shooting potential that drew me to Terry, but scores on all three levels and can break his man off the dribble... He has the athleticism and length that drew me to Ramsey, but is longer and more explosive... On top of that, he has that one character trait that I LOVE in players... SWAG, TOUGHNESS and an IN YOUR FACE attitude.
He's the Anti-Choir Boy.
POTENTIAL
Jaden McDaniels: The next big wing to benefit from NBA spacing?
Almost seven months removed from a freshman season that McDaniels described as upsetting, he regularly ripped off 15 treys in a row, handled the ball like a guard with tremendous footwork, played above the rim, dropped in floaters with soft touch and showed off his 9-foot-1 standing reach in verticality drills. It served as a reminder of why we briefly ranked him as the top prospect in the draft before he got to the University of Washington in January 2019. -- ESPN Insider, Mike Schmitz
With Magic fans gnashing their teeth at passing on Michael Porter, here's our chance to get redemption. Jason Tatum, Brandon Ingram, Pascal Siakam, Kevin Durant, Jonathan Isaac.... Each player is different, but these types of long wiry athletic ballers have a special mold that makes them a tough match up. My sights might be set high, but I do believe that Jaden McDaniels has the same make up and combination of skills that can help him become a star if the team that drafts him develops him correctly.
He is stronger, is shooting the ball at a high level and has bought into film study. And from a sheer talent perspective, McDaniels truly has as much upside as any prospect in this draft not named Anthony Edwards or LaMelo Ball. -- ESPN Insider, Mike Schmitz
Jaden McDaniels was an extremely hyped up prospect out of high school and had what can only be viewed as a disappointing season. However, his potential and talent is why I’m still tremendously high on him. His ability to create his own shot at all three levels effectively at 6’10 is just incredible. Wings who can create their own shot are gold in today’s NBA, and that’s exactly what McDaniels can do. He’s not a slouch on defense either. His athleticism, length, versatility, and commitment on that end should make him a great defender in the league. I’m willing to overlook certain motor and maturity issues because of the immense talent this guy possesses. A lot of his development will come down to if a team is patient with him but I personally think he’s one of, if not, the most underrated player in this class and could be a gamechanger for the team that rolls the dice on him. --tswn.net
FIT WITH THE MAGIC
I haven't agreed with everything that WeHam has done, but I have respected their vision for building a team where length is a top priority. They have been dead eye in terms of their draft targets, FA targets and trade targets. No other team in the NBA has been so obnoxious in doing what they have been doing. Most teams are happy if they can get 1 or 2 long guys. WeHam seems to want an entire roster of them. lol. There is a popular thread here about the Magic needing to copy the Heat's model. The problem is that anytime you try to copy a team, it takes years to do so... if it's even possible... and by that time, the NBA has already shifted or evolved. When the league zigs, you gotta zag. The Magic are zagging right now, trying to build a line up where length dominates, and in order to have that kind of length at every position, you need unique players who possess the skill necessary to play their positions and you gotta grab them whenever you can regardless of what the general consensus is. If their plan doesn't work, it doesn't work... but at least it shows vision, innovation and courage. I can't fault that. I actually wanna see what their completed picture looks like and I think Jaden McDaniels fits their prototype SF. JM has the footspeed and handle to make it work. What he needs to gain is some muscle mass and that will take time (which the Magic have).
sifting through our extensive draft database, the list of prospects 6-foot-9 and taller who averaged 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block per game in college before hitting 20 years old, like McDaniels, is short. Especially in the regular season, forwards with McDaniels' length, agility, foot speed and shooting potential generally find a role in the NBA either as an energizer or oversize wing scorer.
Position: Small Forward
Age: Just turned 20 in September
Height: 6-9 to 6-10 (according to different reports)
Weight: 200
Wingspan: 6-11.5 to 7-1 (according to different reports)
2019/20 stats: 31 G, 31.1 mpg, 13.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.8 spg, 1.4 bpg, 40.5 FG% (4.4/10.85.7), 33.9 3PT% (1.4/4.1), 76.3 FT%
Magic Future Core Line Up
PG Markelle Fultz
SG ?
SF Jaden McDaniels
PF Jonathan Isaac
C Swole Bamba
Bench
SG/SF Wes Iwundu
SF/PF Chuma Okeke
PF/C Al Farouq Aminu
C Khem Birch
What I'd like to see is Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, Terence Ross and/or Nikola Vucevic used to move up in this year's draft. If we can get in the Devin Vassell, Aaron Nesmith range, I'd be stoked... btw, I'd take Vassell over McDaniels, but not Nesmith. This draft is really good imo, if we could just get another pick, I honestly see a lot of late round options to take a chance on in hopes we hit on a SG... Jahmi'us Ramsey, Desmond Bane, Robert Woodard, Cassius Stanley (pet cat). WOULD LOVE TO SEE US MAKE A DRAFT DAY TRADE!
WRAP UP
It is humbling and frustrating to be a Magic fan. We all feel this. The draft is one of the things that gives me hope for this franchise. We are currently in no rush to go anywhere. We have no lead star who is ready to put this team on his back and carry us. I am happy to say that we have candidates in Fultz and Isaac, but they are still transcending and not yet there. Next year, without Isaac this team is still probably good enough to get an 8th seed (mostly because nobody wants that spot), but another 1st round exit is guaranteed. A player like Jaden McDaniels oozes potential, but will have to be given a long leash. Magic fans aren't used to that. We like to declare busts after a bad game or 2 (ie. Bamba). Brandon Ingram took time. Michael Porter needed time. Pascal Siakam broke out in Year 3. Jonathan Isaac is still climbing. Jaden McDaniels will need time too. Fellow Husky Alum, Markelle could take him under his wing. The Magic have time. What they need to do is show belief in their own guys. I have been hard on WeHam for keeping Henny's guys around too long. This is the 4th draft for them. They need to start to turn the page and get closer to turning this team into their vision. It will be hard without Isaac next year, but we need to see what Chuma has to offer. I say LET this year's pick get quality burn time on the court. Hopefully, Bamba has a good offseason and returns in shape. I have high confidence that Markelle will take another step forward. But the opportunities for all these players have to be there. They can't take a back seat because Henny's guys are commanding the ball. Kyrie left Boston and Marcus Smart came alive. Kemba Walker left and Davonte Graham went OFF. Kawhi left and Siakam became an All-Star. We SHOULD be willing to let DJ Augustin go at the very least. We have to let go of the fear of losing and open up lanes for player development. A team like the Magic makes total sense for drafting Jaden McDaniels. Medium risk, High upside. If things went perfect for him at Washington, we wouldn't be talking about him as an option. We'd be dreaming of him as an option. What's your take on him???
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