ORLANDO, FLA- Although Orlando (34-48, 13th in East) failed to secure the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Magic will have the No. 6 and No. 11 picks in the Draft, courtesy of the results from the Draft Lottery on May 16th. Fortunately for Orlando, the 2023 NBA Draft Class is one of the deepest in recent memory, led by French phenom and likely No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama. Outside of Wembanyama, the G-League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson, Alabama’s Brandon Miller, and the Overtime’s Amen and Ausar Thompson headline the top of the Draft Class. With the unlikelihood that Orlando will be able to select Wembanyama, Henderson, Miller, or the Thompson twins, it remains a mystery of whom the Magic may draft with their two first-round picks, but will still add three talented rookies to their roster, as shown below.
No. 6 Pick: Cam Whitmore, SF/PF, University of Villanova
As initially mentioned in FL Teams’ Top Ten Basketball Prospect Rankings on October 21st, Whitmore is a force of nature on the basketball court. Standing at 6’7″ and 200 pounds, Whitmore is an elite above-the-rim player and is a very high-energy player who defends all over the court and excels in transition, thanks to his ability to drive to the basket. In other words, Whitmore is an aggressive driver who puts a lot of pressure on the rim, as shown in his lone season at Villanova. In 26 games (20 starts) as a Wildcat, Whitmore averaged 27.3 MPG, 12.5 PPG (4th on VIL), 5.3 RPG, and 1.4 SPG on 47.8% shooting from the field (2nd on VIL), 57.8% on two-point attempts (3rd on VIL), and 70.3% from the free-throw line. In addition, Whitmore thrives a scorer inside of the arc, as Whitmore finished the 2022-2023 season in the 86th percentile on spot-up shots, the 85th percentile on unguarded catch and shoots, and the 91st percentile on “early jumpers”.
In addition to this, Whitmore’s three-point shooting has improved by drastic margins, as Whitmore shot 34.3% from three-point range (5th on VIL) this season, as opposed to his 22.2% mark in the McDonalds All-American Classic, the Jordan Classic, and the Nike Hoop Summit just one year ago as a Senior at Archbishop Spalding High School. With an above-average physique and standing wingspan of 7’0″, Whitmore is capable of guarding both guards and forwards, offering a valuable asset of versatility on defense. With this said, Whitmore does have the tendency to force action and pick up turnovers, as shown by his 42 total turnovers (4th on VIL) and average of 1.6 TPG (3rd on VIL). With this said, it’s worth noting that Whitmore is only 18 years old and has plenty of time to develop and improve his skills and play at the next level, making him an excellent addition for Orlando at No. 6.
No. 11 Pick (Via Chicago): Keyonte George, PG/SG, University of Baylor
Similar to Villanova’s Cam Whitmore, George improved by drastic margins in his first season with Baylor after committing as a five-star recruit. At 6’5″ and 205 pounds, George is an athletic guard with a solid frame along with good quickness and explosiveness for a player of his size. This combination of size, strength, and quickness made George a difficult player to defend this past season, as shown by his production as a Bear. In 33 starts (33 games), George averaged 15.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 1.1 SPG on 37.6% shooting from the field, 33.8% from three-point range, and 79.3% from the free-throw line. Although George isn’t as gifted of a scorer as Baylor’s Adam Flagler or LJ Cryer, George still served as one of the Bear’s top scoring options, as shown by his 492 points produced (2nd on BAY), 1.8 OWS (4th on BAY), and 4.5 OBPM (4th on BAY). Not to be outdone, George still finished his Freshman season with 1.1 DWS (2nd on BAY) and 1.1 DBPM (8th on BAY), equating to totals of 2.9 WS (4th on BAY), and 5.6 BPM (5th on BAY).
As a result of his excellent Freshman season at Baylor, George earned a number of different accolades and awards, such as All Big-Twelve second team honors, the Big Twelve Rookie of the Year, and all Big-Twelve All-Freshman team. Alongside Flagler, Cryer, Langston Love, and Flo Thamba, George and the Bears finished the 2022-2023 season with a 23-11 overall record, an 11-7 record in the stacked Big Twelve Conference, and the No. 3 seed in the South Region of March Madness. During No. 3 Baylor’s disappointing run in March Madness, capped off with a shocking 76-85 loss to No. 6 Creighton in the Round of 32, George endured his own struggles, averaging 25.0 MPG, 8.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.5 SPG on 15.8% shooting from the field, 10.0% from three-point range, and 75.0% from the free-throw line in two starts. Although George’s lackluster outings in March Madness are concerning, George is only 19 years old, and was Baylor’s only Freshman to start in any game this season. In Orlando, George would have plenty of time to develop and improve under third-year head coach Jamahl Mosley without the added pressure of serving as the team’s best player from opening night.
No. 36 Pick: Trayce Jackson-Davis, PF/C, University of Indiana
With their final pick in the draft, Orlando opts for Jackson-Davis, a 6’9″, 240-pound two-way forward who was one of the most dominant players in the nation last season. For reference, Jackson-Davis averaged 34.5 MPG, 20.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 4.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, and 2.9 BPG on 58.1% shooting from the field in 32 starts, all career-highs at Indiana. It’s worth noting that Jackson-Davis has been exceptional as a Hoosier for all four seasons under head coach Mike Woodson, as shown by Jackson-Davis’s averages of 32.5 MPG, 17.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.2 APG, 0.7 SPG, and 2.1 BPG on 56.5% shooting in 126 starts from 2019-2023. Due to an insane 7’1″ wingspan, Jackson-Davis was nearly unstoppable during his Senior season at Indiana, earning 202-2023 All-American First Team Honors, while finishing with the No. 3 PER, the No. 4 Blocks, and No. 7 Rebounds in NCAA History. As previously mentioned, Jackson-Davis has been just as good as now, as Jackson-Davis earned All-Big-Ten Freshman Team Honors, Two All-Big Ten Defensive Team Honors, and Four All-Big Ten Team Honors throughout his four-year tenure.
While Jackson-Davis’s Senior season was historic, many NBA scouts and teams aren’t sure that Jackson-Davis will dominate in the NBA due to a number of reasons. First and foremost, Jackson-Davis’s offense is limited to just inside the paint, as Jackson Davis went 0-3 (0.0%) on three-point attempts and 558-825 (67.6%) from the free-throw line in college. In addition, Jackson-Davis tends to favor his left hand for dribbling, passing, and shooting, and is quite undersized as a center, both of which will be glaring liabilities when matching up with great defenders in the NBA. Finally, success in college basketball doesn’t always translate to success in the NBA, as shown by Iowa’s Luka Garza (2020-2021), UTSA’s Jhivvan Jackson (2019-2020), and Campbell’s Chris Clemons (2018-2019). In spite of these issues, Jackson-Davis’s ability to dominate on both ends of the floor and serve as the No. 1 option on one of the best teams in the Big Ten Conference is encouraging, in spite of Jackson-Davis already 23 years old.