By John Denton June 21, 2017
ORLANDO – Jeff Weltman and John Hammond have largely built their NBA careers by using their innate abilities to identify talent in young players while also occasionally uncovering the rare gem that no other team sees.
They did just that to build playoff teams in Los Angeles with the Clippers, Detroit and in Milwaukee. Their greatest find of all – All-NBA forward Giannis Antetokounmpo – came while they worked together in Milwaukee and it cemented their reputations as exceptional judges of talent and potential.
Weltman and Hammond are together again – this time as President of Basketball Operations and GM, respectively, for the Orlando Magic – and on Thursday night they will be trying to strike gold again in the NBA Draft. They are in Orlando to try and reverse the direction of a Magic organization that has recently experienced its worst five-year stretch in franchise history – a run of bad luck that can be almost directly traced back to struggles picking players in recent drafts.
Few exercises in sports are as inexact as the practice of drafting teenagers and trying to project their futures. But Magic fans can take heart that in Weltman and Hammond, Orlando has two front office leaders who are on the same page and have proven track records of success.
``I’ve always felt that Jeff has a very keen eye for talent. That’s obviously so important in what we do,’’ Hammond said of Weltman. ``He���s always been creative in his evaluating. I can tell you that from working with him when he goes out and watches a player play – we never get them all right, but boy, Jeff gets most of them right.’’
The Magic hope to get it right on Thursday, and they have a host of picks with which to try out a variety of ideas. Orlando is slated to select sixth and 25th in the first round and it also possesses the 33rd and 35th picks. Having a host of picks, and several assets that other teams might covet, could give the Magic the opportunity to make a bold move up in the draft to snag difference-making talent that Weltman and Hammond have identified.
``We all have these paradigms of `we’re going to draft this type of person’ and `this type of player,’ but we’re all human beings and we’re dealing with human beings and it’s never going to be just the way that you want it,’’ Weltman said. ``That being said, we want talented players who play for each other. That’s where we start the conversation. And then from there we go into different layers of their personality, character, and skill set, but that (talent and unselfishness) is at the core of what we want to look for.’’
If the Magic indeed pick sixth, point guards Markell Fultz, Lonzo Ball and De’Aaron Fox will likely be long gone to No. 1 Philadelphia, No. 2 Los Angeles Lakers and No. 4 Phoenix. Most draft experts have forwards Josh Jackson and Jayson Tatum going No. 3 and No. 5 to Boston and Sacramento.
If that scenario plays out – and that almost seems unlikely considering the flurry of activity that has filled the NBA headlines in the days leading up to the draft – the Magic should have a variety of options at No. 6. To wit:
- Do they draft the fluid, but lanky forward Jonathan Isaac out of Florida State? The nearly 7-foot and versatile Isaac seems to fit the mold of players that Weltman and Hammond have drafted in years past, but legitimate questions about the big man’s offensive game and motor cloud the scenario?
- Do they opt for a shooter such as Malik Monk, Lauri Markkanen or even fast riser Luke Kennard? Orlando ranked 29th in the NBA last season in 3-point accuracy and 25th in 3-pointers made, so shooting is a major need for the Magic. Kennard (43.8 percent from three), Markkanen (42.3 percent from three) and Monk (39.7 percent from three) are all considered plus shooters and could help the Magic right away in a league that is putting a greater influence than ever on 3-point shooting.
``Shooting is always at a premium and as long as I’ve been around basketball. The first skill that you always ask about is, `Can the guy shoot?’’’ said Weltman, who was hired on May 22 by the Magic. ``I do feel that the league is obviously changing in front of our eyes and it’s becoming a league of 3-point shooters, stretch-bigs, three-and-D guys and there’s a whole new lexicon being introduced to us. (Shooting) is a paramount skill as we evaluate players.’’
- Or do the Magic opt for dynamic point guard Dennis Smith Jr. – a move that would certainly raise eyebrows what with incumbent Elfrid Payton still on the roster? Smith’s analytics of finishing at the rim and getting to the free throw line are as good or better than that of Fultz and Ball, but questions persist about his abilities as a playmaker and a shooter from distance.
Considering where the Magic stand – coming off a disappointing 29-53 season that left them outside of the playoffs for a fifth straight season – Weltman figures the Magic must focus simply on snagging the best player available instead of drafting for a specific need.
``I think we’re still early on in the process to be drafting to need,’’ admitted Weltman, inferring that the roster still needs injections of talent and leadership. ``Even teams that are further along look at the draft as a way to add talent. Certainly where we are, that would be prudent for us. We want to move it forward and improve the team, but the draft is a time where you are trying to add talent and become a guy who you can grow with.’’
Regardless of who the Magic select, fans can rest easy knowing that they have two leaders calling the shots in Weltman and Hammond who have extensive track records of finding greatness in the draft. Years of working together and becoming close friends has allowed them to ``almost finish each other’s sentences,’’ Hammond joked recently, and that tends to pay off on draft night when chaos can sometimes reign in draft rooms.
The hope now is that the Weltman/Hammond pairing will produce magic and it will allow Orlando to cull a dynamic, difference-making gem from Thursday night’s draft.
``We’ve been through this a few times and for the most part we’ve had good fortune going through these processes,’’ Hammond said. ``I’ve always thought of Jeff as a great evaluator of talent and he’s great on draft night in the decision-making moments. So, we’ll find a way to make it work.’’
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