The NBA Draft is coming up on October 16, which means The Game Haus will be doing draft profiles for each NBA team. Each day, a new team will be analyzed for their past season, their team needs and projected targets. Today, the Orlando Magic will be evaluated.
Summary
The Magic were one of the teams invited into the NBA bubble in their home city of Orlando, Florida. The team still had to quarantine with the rest of the NBA instead of being allowed to go to their nearby homes to ensure safety.
Orlando made the 2020 NBA playoffs after securing enough wins in the bubble, earning the eighth seed. They won took one game from the Milwaukee Bucks before ultimately losing 4-1. Before their elimination game, NBA games were postponed due to the players’ boycott in response to racial injustice in America.
Neither of the Magic’s 2019 Draft picks played for the team during the 2020 season. Talen Horton-Tucker turned into this year’s second round pick and Chuma Okeke landed in the G League for ACL rehab. This year they will need to draft some impact players that can play right away.
Picks
The Magic have two picks in the 2020 NBA Draft.
First Round: Pick No. 15
Second Round: Pick No. 45
Team Needs
Inside & outside scoring- The Magic were 26th in points in the paint and 22nd in three-point scoring in 2020. Their three point shooting percentage as a team was 25th overall. In this era of the NBA, scoring is king, so they need to draft two prospects who can score the ball on either or both levels of offense.
Extra possessions- Whether more possessions come from a player with good ball control, someone more rebound-focused or a better quick-draw scorer, the Magic need more time with the ball. They were bottom five in terms of possessions per game. The offense could take the next step if they could move up the rankings significantly.
Projected Targets
First Round, Pick No. 15: Daniel Oturu, C (Minnesota)
The Orlando Magic can start the run on big men with the 15th overall pick. Although they will not get James Wiseman, Obi Toppin or Onyeka Okongwu there will still be a wealth of talent at the power forward and/or center positions. Most of that talent will go at the end of the first or top of the second round, so the Magic can have their pick of it all here.
Daniel Oturu may be seen as a bit of a stretch at 15, but why not take a big man that can support most of their needs right away? Oturu is already a talented inside scorer and if given his shot, he can knock down the three at a good clip for a center. He also averaged a double-double with 20.1 points and 11.3 rebounds last season.
Given the needs Orlando has, they need to take a close look at Oturu, and ignore draft boards. Depending on the board he could go as early as 10-12, or as late as 45-50. If he looks good and fits their scheme, the Magic should not miss their shot at a scorer and rebounder wrapped into one package.
Second Round, Pick No. 45: Malachi Flynn, PG (San Diego St.)
Flynn averaged 17.1 points and 5.1 assists last season who also is NBA-ready on the defensive end of the court. With a 37.3 percent shooting percentage from deep, he can add a real boon to the offense immediately.
His inside scoring needs a bit of work, especially since he is only 6-foot-1 but he has great scoring potential and he will almost certainly be available at pick 45. Flynn may not be the most talented guard in the draft, or have the highest ceiling, but given their team needs he can take a spot on the floor next season.
Featured Image courtesy of Orlando Magic
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