After selecting Duke’s Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 pick, the Orlando Magic were not done adding young talent in the NBA Draft. With the No. 32 Pick in the Second Round, Orlando drafted Caleb Houstan, a Forward from the University of Michigan. Standing at 6’8″ and 205 pounds, Houstan is an athletic and skilled swingman that can score in a variety of ways. While at Michigan, Houstan displayed his well-rounded offense, averaging 10.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, and 1.4 APG in 34 games. In addition, Houstan was a very efficient shooter for the Wolverines, shooting 38.4% from the field, 35.5% from three-point range, and 78.3% from the free-throw line.
Michigan was able to depend on Houstan when it mattered most, as he and Eli Brooks were the only players to start in all 32 games for the Wolverines this season. As a result of his reliable offense, Houstan helped lead Michigan to a 19-15 overall record (11-9 Big Ten), which translated to the No. 11 seed in the South Region of March Madness. In Michigan’s first-round matchup against No. 6 Colorado State, Houstan showed out for the Wolverines, notching 13 points and five rebounds while making three crucial three-point shots to secure the 75-63 upset win. After winning their Round of 32 matchups against No. 3 Tennesse, 76-68, Michigan lost in the Sweet 16 to No. 2 Villanova, 55-63.
With this said, Houstan will need to focus on improving his defense as he enters the NBA, as his below-average athleticism and poor intangibles made him a defensive liability. While Houstan’s defense isn’t horrific, it still should cause concerns for Orlando, as he averaged just 0.7 SPG and 0.2 BPG. While Houstan’s defensive struggles were evident this past season, he did show signs of growth and improvement toward the end of the season, which is encouraging for Orlando.
Now in Orlando, Houstan will have plenty of time to develop into a solid three-&-d wing that can score at all three levels. Furthermore, Houstan won’t be forced into NBA action immediately, and can learn from Orlando’s other forwards such as Jonathan Isaac and 2021 All-Rookie First Team Selection Franz Wagner. If Houstan takes a leap as Wagner did in 2021-2022, then Houstan certainly outperformed his draft position. At just 19 years old, adding another promising player on the Wing was very smart by Orlando, and should pay dividends in the future.
welcome to the O, Caleb Houstan 🪄@SociosUSA x #MagicDraft pic.twitter.com/HCtVBV970i
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) June 24, 2022