The NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone with the Orlando Magic having the luck of the ping pong balls and getting the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Magic have had luck selecting first in their franchise history as they selected centers Chris Webber and Shaquille O’Neal in back-to-back years in the 1992 and 1993 drafts.
Today, we will discuss a few potential players they can select in this year’s draft and figure out the best fit for this roster. You can even take what you read and make a bet on who will be drafted first, like how you can bet based on experts’ race at WWTF predictions.
Jabari Smith Jr – Auburn
The one position of need that the Orlando Magic are desperate for is small forward and that is what Jabari Smith Jr would be. Standing at 6’ 10” and weighing 220 pounds, he could give his opponent fits.
He played one year of collegiate basketball with the Auburn Tigers and had one heck of a season before declaring for this year’s NBA Draft. Smith appeared in 34 games and averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, a pair of assists, a block, and 1.1 steals per game.
His shooting stroke is one of the best we have seen, especially at his size. During the year he finished shooting 42.9 percent from the floor, 42 percent from the three-point line, and 79.9 percent from the free-throw line.
Chet Holmgren – Gonzaga
Chet Holmgren is everything you would want out of your center position as he was a dominant force down low on both sides of the ball. The one knock on him is his size as he is seven feet tall but only weighing 195 pounds, so he needs to put on a little bit more weight so he can continue to battle with the big men down low.
He had an incredible season for the Gonzaga Bulldogs last year as he finished with 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and an incredible 3.7 blocks per game.
Holmgren also showed the ability to expand his range as he was able to shoot 60.7 percent from the field, 39 percent from distance, and 71.7 from the free-throw line.
Paolo Banchero – Duke
Paolo Banchero definitely proved that he is the real deal in his only season with the Duke Blue Devils last season before declaring for the NBA Draft. He is a 6’ 10” 250 pound forward, so he has his man body and should be able to bang around down low for rebounds in the NBA.
He played well for Duke as he averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 33 minutes per game. He had no issue shooting from anywhere on the court as well as he was able to shoot 47.8 percent from the floor, 33.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 72.9 percent from the charity stripe.
Banchero also proved to compete well against some top talents as he did well during March Madness while the Blue Devils were in the tournament. He finished as a consensus All American and was a NCAA All-Tourney during the year.
He was able to find a consistent stroke from three-point range as he was 10-for-19 from three. He could struggle to fit in with Jonathan Isaac as two major power forwards, but if Banchero can adjust to a small forward position, it can really work.
Conclusion
I believe that right now on the Orlando Magic’s board is Jabari Smith Jr, Chet Holmgren, and Paolo Banchero, based on what they need to continue their rebuild. This is not necessarily the strongest draft class but the top has a few guys that should have great NBA careers when it is all said and done.
