2023 Orlando Magic Draft Day Thread (#6, #11): THE DAY IS HERE!

[Optimus_Steel]

Quite underwhelming taking two project players who could just as easily drop out of the league as much as create a role for themselves. I don't see either being starting level players, but more role players. I reckon Wheltman was looking for role players this draft. They could prove me wrong, but I doubt it.

Bamba was a project. These two picks don't look like projects.

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[Rainwater]

I truly don't think Fultz and Cole will be here long. Too many guards.

[Howard Mass]

On Jett Howard, he's a really good shooter.

Isn't that we wanted to see in Gradey Dick. Sure, I saw more in Gradey Dick than that but Jett might be able to show more like Weltman says.

Regardless, he's sticking to the length plan.

[neuraldarwinism]

Anyone else think Anthony Black is kind of ugly?

he will repel all people and have unlimited time to practice

[Knightro]

Don’t you think he will run the offense for the second unit and play with Harris and Cole?

Cole was really good on the ball with the 2nd unit last year. Why on earth would the Magic take him out of that role next year when they want to make the playoffs?

Black's gonna be fighting for scrap minutes as a backup 2/3 next year and it makes me sick

[KillMonger]

it's almost as if people think the magic FO picked the names out of a hat...they've been scouting this class since last year, some specific prospects even before then..

[Residual-Heat]

"Hey Kobe congratulations"
"Im good how are you?"

[RickB-Orlando]

I think I’ve figured it out - it’s a way to keep the assistant coach budget down. We already have Greg Anthony lurking in the wings, now we add Juwan, and we can let a bench coach or two go and it goes straight to the bottom line. The front office is really thinking!

[Message Boar]

When is summer league?

July 3rd and 5th in Sacramento/Utah then from the 7th in Vegas.

[dsg2021]

Big picture, trades seems to be opening up more in this next half decade. This makes drafting even more of a crap-shoot in terms how you’re filling your team out. Because trades will be there. And maybe even a blockbuster one.

So I had two lines of thought with this draft within the big picture.

You study MIA and how they are one of the most impressive Finalists to not go all the way. They showed us just how much you can squeeze out of a team and a couple stars if you genuinely draft for shooting, fit, and culture. You also raise the value of your pieces all around you.
In this line of thought, you might go with choices like Gradey Dick, Taylor Hendricks, Jordan Hawkins, and more. (Edit: Post-draft, Magic stole a piece of MIA's culture going Jett Howard with Juwan.)

Or you study something more bolder and it’s about homeruns and insane asset accumulation. What’s crazy about Bilal to me is he can theoretically fit both this and above.

The next line of thought is about the cap sheet and it’s ebb and flow within team construction and asset accumulation. And I believe we still have the flexibility and the rookie contract years remaining to keep swinging big and crazy, even if it costs us a 44 win season next year. In this light, the swing for Bilal makes sense. (Edit: Post-draft the line of thought was there but with Black instead of Bilal)

And the choice of other prospects has these two perspectives behind them as well too. And yet still, (despite BPA making too much sense still) a shooter makes a ton of sense again, like a Gradey Dick or Jordan Hawkins at #11. Because there are many. And one of these MANY SHOOTERS is not like the others, and will be a piece that is a little too unique and better than an average NBA sharpshooter.

Players I like (in no order) -
Cam Whitmore, Taylor Hendricks, Bilal Coulilaby, Gradey Dick, Scoot Henderson, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Brandon Miller, Jordan Hawkins, Colby Jones, Ben Sheppard, Brice Sensabaugh, Brandon Podzmoeski, Jett Howard

I said this earlier in the thread because in the end you need to think as big picture as you can as well. With our cap sheet outlook and the high number of rookie contract years remaining that we can manipulate (namely, Paolo and Franz), it made too much sense to take a swing at an upside BPA.

For me, all of that made sense with someone like Bilal, taken what, one pick right after Black, because Bilal's upside is Paul George. Black's upside, on the other hand, is someone who is going to keep the ball more and more out of the hands of our two point forwards. And not be a strong shooter at first, at least. So yeah, I think a lot of it revolved around the fact that we were doing just fine in a lot of ways with Fultz as a lead guard, maybe finding shooting elsewhere in the future. And now we have potentially a better Fultz.

What really thrills me about Jett Howard is the fact the Magic genuinely don't search for shooting in the draft. And they took him.

And then not only did they take a shooter, they went out, had a large pool of like 6-7 sharp-shooting wings in front of them, and with everything they researched and analyzed on the tape said, "It's him out of 6 semi-similar players." I'll absolutely trust them on this pick and say we may have found some #8th pick Franz Wagner magic in a draft that was supposed to be a little bit more about #5 pick Jalen Suggs at first.

[PrimeThyme]

Which reading between the lines, they're not going to play him at PG next year since they already have two incumbents eating up all the minutes.

Bad bad bad.

I don't hate it. Black has the defensive versatility to guard multiple positions. Suggs/Paolo will need to continue to make strides as shooters, but there are some Black 2/3 lineups that pique my interest.

I also fully expect him to still get minutes at the 1.

[neuraldarwinism]

Read on Twitter

I knew it

They're gonna play this non-shooter on the wing and keep all the incumbent guards. Sickening.

He's gotta be just saying that. I mean, what's the rotation?

PG Fultz
CG Cole
SG Suggs
SM Black
SF Franz
CF Jett
PF Paolo
CB JI
QC WCJ
PC Goga

warriors said poole was gonna be on the warriors for the next 4 years

[eyriq]

WTF is up with Whitmore falling? Shocking

[thelead]

I don't know anything about these players, but I want my GM's to pick based on what they see in a player, not based on mock drafts. Every single season mock drafts get proven wrong.

This is it right here. We won't know until a year or 2 in.

[Ralof]

Every single season mock drafts get proven wrong.

so as general managers

[PigsEatHam]

Anyone else think Anthony Black is kind of ugly?

You're entitled to your opinion, but that seems like needless body shaming. That said, I have a soft spot for players that sport weird hair. Speaks to an iconoclastic impulse. Elf, Smart, Sochan, etc. In general, I respect players with the sense of self to resist easy categorization.

[Howard Mass]

WTF is up with Whitmore falling? Shocking

That will be the question everyone wants answered.

[Message Boar]

WTF is up with Whitmore falling? Shocking

HAS to be medical at this point. You see drops every year but this is extreme.

[rcklsscognition]

Black playing SF? I can't, I really can't.

[BlueBlazer]

What hurts for me is Jett wasn't even the best Michigan player still on the board for me. Bufkin is going to be damn good.

But he’s a great human being…. We’re going to beat other teams with character.