After a disappointing first half of the NBA Season, the Orlando Magic should already have their eyes set on the 2021 NBA Draft. We’ve seen that it takes one NBA Draft Prospect to turn a Franchise around, as shown by Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Kawhi Leonard. The Magic will have healthy versions of Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, and Jonathan Isaac next season, so the Magic don’t have as many needs as you may think. Orlando could use some more scoring off their bench to help complement 6th-Man of the Year Candidate Terrence Ross, and could try to take a chance on one of the big frontcourt prospects to form a strong frontcourt with two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic and Isaac. Taking this into consideration, here are the three NBA Draft Prospects the Magic should keep their eye on throughout the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
The Magic’s #1 Target: Evan Mobley, PF/C, USC
Even as a Freshman, Mobley has still shown a tremendous set of skills for the 24th-ranked Trojans this season. Through 27 Games, Mobley averaged 16.1 PPG (7th in Pac-12), 8.6 RPG (1st in Pac-12), and 2.1 APG while shooting 58.2% from the field (3rd in Pac-12). Mobley is a very athletic big man that can run the floor very well and can have a positive contribution on both ends of the floor. Although Mobley struggles with shooting the ball, at 29.0% from three and 69.9% from the free-throw line, he does make this up with his play inside the paint. Mobley has been careless on the offensive end at USC, too, so he’ll need to clean that up as well. If the Magic select Mobley in the upcoming draft, he and Jonathan Isaac would form a great 1-2 punch in the frontcourt for years to come while developing his shooting.
The Magic’s #2 Target: Greg Brown, SF, University of Texas
Brown wouldn’t be worth the Magic’s projected top-five selection but would be a great option to add in the second round (If available). He is a lengthy stretch forward at 6-9′ that would do wonders for the Magic off the bench. Brown averaged 10.3 PPG and 6.7 RPG in 23 Games for the Longhorns this season, and has made plays all over the court. Brown is a solid shooter at 41.8% from the field and 32.6% from three-point range, but still finds ways to contribute on the defensive end, totaling 14 Steals and 26 Blocks throughout the season. His defensive production should improve if drafted on the Magic, with a defensive-minded coach in Steve Clifford. Brown wouldn’t start in his Rookie season, but would rather sit behind Isaac and Vucevic like Chuma Okeke and Cole Anthony have both done this season.
The Magic’s #3 Target: Corey Kispert, PF, University of Gonzaga
If the Magic want a dominant shooter, Kispert is their guy. The 6-7, 220 pound forward has been proactive on the offensive end all season for the Zags, averaging 19.2 PPG and 4.8 RPG this season. Kispert’s bread and butter has been his uncanny shooting, as he is almost at the historic 40/50/90 shooting slash this season. Kispert is just shy of this feat, at 54.4% from the field, 44.4% from the three-point line, and 89.8% from the free-throw line. What’s more impressive is that Kispert has been effective on the defensive end, too, totaling 23 Steals and 11 Blocks. Kispert’s understanding of spacing and Gonzaga’s scheme makes his cutting toward the basket game quite dangerous. Kispert has real potential as a pick-and-roll big man that could excel in nearly any system. That versatility doesn’t come around often, and Kispert would be a dangerous scorer off the Magic’s bench.
I’ve been surfing online more than 3 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. In my view, if all website owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be much more useful than ever before.
Wow, thank you so much! To hear that, it means the world to me!