There’s no doubt that there was a lot on the line for the Orlando Magic based on the outcome of the NBA Draft Lottery. Entering the Draft Lottery, Orlando had the best odds to land the first overall selection at 14%, along with Detroit and Houston. In addition to their own first-round pick, Orlando also owns Chicago’s first-round pick from the Nikola Vucevic trade that had a chance to land inside the top-five. Despite this, the odds weren’t in Orlando’s favor, as they now have the fifth and eighth overall picks. While this draft class is filled with future stars, Orlando needs to be careful with whom they decide to select in the top ten. With this being said, the Magic should avoid these three NBA Draft Prospects at all costs with their two first-round picks.
Jonathan Kuminga, SF, NBA G-Leauge Ignite
While it may be tempting to select Kuminga, the Magic should be very cautious in choosing the 6’8″, 220-pound Combo Forward. To begin, Orlando needs to add players who thrive off-the-ball and can shoot well from three-point range. Kuminga doesn’t fit the bill, as much of his offense came in isolation situations while hitting just 24.6% on five attempts from downtown. Along with his rough three-point shooting, Kuminga also had significant turnover issues. In addition to averaging 2.6 TPG, Kuminga nearly had the same amount of assists as he did of turnovers (35 assists, 34 turnovers). Sure, there’s plenty of room for Kuminga to improve in these areas, as he’s only 18-years-old. But, Kuminga would have a small role in Orlando. With Jonathan Isaac returning from his ACL tear, and the progression of Chuma Okeke and Terrence Ross, Kuminga just wouldn’t fit in Orlando’s frontcourt unit.
Keon Johnson, SG, Tennesse
Like Kuminga, Johnson is another Draft Prospect that struggles to contribute from beyond the arc. In 27 games this season, Johnson shot 27.1% from three-point range on 1.8 attempts. Johnson’s lackluster three-point shooting limited his offensive ability altogether, averaging just 11.3 PPG and 2.5 RPG in 25.5 MPG. Even as a raw offensive talent, Johnson still offers plenty of upside with his athleticism and defense. Johnson’s speed and quickness make him a terror in transition and on defense. Notching 30 total steals across a season as a freshman is no joke, which is largely due to his athleticism. In spite of this, Johnson’s offensive play as a whole needs to improve before he can succeed in the NBA. Unless Orlando believes that Johnson can become more of a two-way threat with added shooting in the NBA, they should avoid Johnson with their two first-round picks.
Ziaire Williams, SF, Standford
Simply put, Williams may just be the biggest “boom-or-bust ” prospect in the entire Draft. There’s no doubt that Williams’ physique and athletic ability will wow scouts away. Standing at 6’8″, Williams displayed a unique skillset of his smooth shooting form and defensive play. Williams’ production wasn’t too terrible, believe it or not. In 20 games with the Cardinal, Williams averaged 10.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 27.9 MPG. Despite this, Williams still has his concerns, mainly being his perimeter shooting and inexperience. Only being able to make 29.1% of your four three-point attempts per game is a problem, even if scoring isn’t your best tool. As for Williams’ inexperience, he only played in 20 career college basketball games and started in just 14 of them. Entering the NBA as a one-and-done prospect is risky enough, especially if your production wasn’t spectacular like Williams’.
