201718stories

ORLANDO - With the Orlando Magic slated to pick sixth in the June 21st NBA Draft, sure-fire standouts DeAndre Ayton, Luka Doncic and Marvin Bagley III will likely be long gone, forcing them to dig deeper for an under-the-radar talent on the verge of blossoming at the pro level.

Big man Wendell Carter Jr. just might qualify after circumstances at Duke University kept him from completely shinning this past season. Just listen to what one of Carter’s Duke teammates, shooting guard Gary Trent Jr., had to say about Carter’s big-time potential.

``Wendell is a really talented player,’’ Trent Jr. said. ``If Marvin (Bagley III) wasn’t at Duke, Wendell would be in the conversation to be the No. 1 pick. He’s just that talented. He can finish with his left or right hand, he can bring you out to the mid-range and face you up or shoot the three. On the defensive end, he’s exceptional, as well. He’s a great talent and I think more and more teams will see that as he works out with them.’’

NBA teams, such as the Magic, are undoubtedly eager to get the 6-foot-10, 251-pound Carter into their practice facilities so they can see for themselves the untapped potential that he has. People in college basketball got to see Carter’s full-scale abilities last February when Bagley missed a four-game stretch because of a knee sprain and Duke’s other five-star recruit shined.

In defeats of Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Clemson and Louisville, Carter came within one rebound of having four straight double-doubles. Given the freedom to be the focal point on the inside, Carter averaged 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor.

That stretch gave scouts a peek at just how talented of a prospect that Carter Jr. was coming out of Pace Academy in Atlanta and just how good of a player he might become with a bigger role in the future. For the season, Carter Jr. played in four more games than Bagley III (37 to 33), but still logged fewer minutes (1,118 to 997) and scored fewer overall points (694 to 501). He admitted recently at the NBA Draft Combine that it was an adjustment playing on a team where he often was behind Bagley III, Grayson Allen and Trent Jr. in the Blue Devils’ offense.

``It was, at first, but I knew what I could do,’’ Carter Jr. said confidently. ``I knew I could affect the game without many opportunities to score or get the ball. So, I did those things and I did those things exceptionally well. And I found a way to stand out without always putting the ball in the basket. It allowed me to show that I can play with great players and still hold my own.’’

``Without me even playing an NBA game, just from watching, I can tell there’s a lot more space and more one-on-one type, more pick-and-rolls and playing in a lot of space,’’ he added. ``I’m definitely looking to do more of that.’’

Carter Jr., 19, speaks with a confidence and charisma well beyond his years. Some of that likely comes from his smarts as he was a top-scholar-athlete award winner coming out of high school and his collegiate choice ultimately came down to Harvard or Duke. Also, basketball is in his bloodlines with his father, Wendell Sr. playing collegiately at Delta State (Miss.) and professionally in the Dominican Republic and his mother, Kylia, starring previously at Ole Miss. It was Kylia who was outspoken about the treatment of collegiate athletes by the NCAA, comparing their pay-for-no-pay conditions to that of slavery.

``My mom is my mom. She has her opinion and she doesn’t mind sharing them,’’ Carter Jr. said. ``In some aspects, I do agree with her, and in some aspects, you’ll probably have to ask her if you want to know more.

``A lot of people thought what she was saying about players were slaves and coaches were slave owners, that’s not what she was saying at all,’’ he added. ``Just the fact that when you do go to college, we’re not paid for working for someone above us and the someone above us is making all of the money. Not talking about the merchandise, food or a free education because if that was the case, a lot of players would go straight (to the NBA) out of high school instead of having them play one year of college, which doesn’t do much in terms of academics. I never thought my mom was ever wrong.’’

Carter Jr., who is projected to go anywhere from No. 6 to 20 in mock drafts, said scouts and GMs aren’t wrong when they project him as being a better player at the pro level than he was in college. Carter Jr. said that when given the opportunity to play big minutes, he will become a tremendous all-around player for any team.

``I think I’m pretty versatile as a player. I’ll just find a way to fit into the team and buy into the system. I’m a winner, and I’ll do whatever I have to do to win,’’ he stressed. ``The NBA game is changing. There are no more true centers anymore. You have to be versatile and shoot from the outside, while also guarding on the perimeter. That’s what I’ve been working on in the draft process and I really think I’ll be able to do that in the NBA.’’

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.

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Wendell Carter Jr. is One of Draft's Most Intriguing Big Men

ORLANDO - What if, in the haste of trying find an NBA similarity to what Trae Young did in demolishing the college competition and the basketball world breathlessly wanting to replicate the greatness of Stephen Curry, it saddled the University of Oklahoma guard with unfair and inaccurate comparisons to a two-time MVP winner?

What if Young – who indeed has the same slight build, light skin tone, limitless shooting range and seemingly magical abilities with the basketball as Curry – actually patterns his game after a different, yet equally dynamic player who also once won consecutive MVP awards?

``Steve Nash is my favorite player of all time,’’ Young said when talking about his basketball influences. ``With his size and my size, we’re very similar. He’s very cerebral, he can score from all three levels, he knows how to get his teammates involved and he’s a winner. I feel like a lot of his characteristics are similar to mine.

``I love the comparisons (to Curry),’’ Young added later. ``He’s a two-time MVP and a champion and I love the comparisons. But I feel like I bring a lot of things from a lot of different players’ games. I’m just trying to be the best version of Trae Young.’’

Young’s version of himself was downright jaw-dropping this past season as he became the first player ever to lead NCAA basketball in scoring (27.4 ppg.) and assists (8.7 apg.) in the same season. The fact that the 19-year-old Young did it as a true freshman and in his lone collegiate season speaks to how advanced and complete his game can be at times. Hence, the lofty comparisons to the seemingly incomparable Curry and Nash – two point guards who lacked sheer size, yet still controlled games with their smarts, savvy and shooting.

Those comparisons have NBA GMs and scouts salivating at the thought of drafting Young to run their teams with his rare combination of great shooting range and remarkable passing vision. Are those talents dynamic and difference-making enough to make them overlook Young’s lack of size and how he seemed to physically wear down over the final six weeks of the college season? Are they enough to cover up his obvious defensive deficiencies?

Supporters of Young stress that he will thrive even more in the pro game with its spacing, while detractors wonder if he’s even the best collegiate point guard available.

Time will ultimately tell pro personnel thinks when the NBA Draft unfolds on June 21. Most mock drafts have Young expected to come off the board anywhere from the six-through-10 range, meaning the Orlando Magic – owners of the No. 6 pick and a team very much in need of a difference-making point guard – could have the first shot at selecting Young. Phoenix, Sacramento, Atlanta, Memphis and Dallas compose the top five and all of them except the Suns seem to already have their point guard of the future already in place. That, of course, is subject to change with the rebuilding Hawks reportedly willing to part with mercurial point guard Dennis Schroder in a trade.

Young admitted to rolling his eyes when some suggest that his style won’t work in the NBA and when mock drafts predict him falling to the midpoint of the lottery. The competitive fire that burns inside of him showed itself last week at the NBA Combine when Young was asked if he considered himself the best scorer available in the draft.

``I think I’m the best overall player in this draft,’’ he said with conviction. ``My main focus isn’t to be the best player in this draft; my goal is to be the best player in the NBA and that’s what I’m focusing on each and every day.’’

NBA talent evaluators had to be eager to see Young’s official measurements at last week’s Draft Combine because of rampant questions about his size and strength. It had to come as a relief to some when Young was measured at 6-foot, 1¾ inches (with shoes) and his weight was up to 177.8 pounds. Curry currently dominates games at 6-3 and 190 pounds, while Nash played at 6-3 and 180 pounds during his likely Hall of Fame career. Rod Strickland, another major influence on Young’s career, played at 6-3 and 175 pounds and he’s given him numerous tips on how to survive and thrive against bigger guards.

In the time since his college career ended with his declaration that he was headed to the NBA, Young has not only worked on his game, but has also worked to add muscle. Before heading off to individual workouts with teams, Young said he wanted to be as prepared as possible for the transition to the NBA game.

``I prepared extremely hard coming into the college season, so that I could make a huge impact right away,’’ he said. ``I’m working two times as hard to get into the NBA. I want to make a huge impact right away.

``Right now, my main focus is getting my body right,’’ Young added. ``I’ve picked up 10 pounds of muscle in the past five weeks and we’re still five weeks off from the draft and I’m in the same process of getting my body ready to handle 82 games in the season.’’

Despite averaging 42.6 points and 5.8 assists a game as a senior in high school in Norman, Okla., Young was ranked anywhere from second to fifth among point guards in his class among various recruiting services. He used those perceived slights as fuel heading into his freshman season at Oklahoma. It didn’t take him long into his time with the Sooners to show off his flashy skill set as he smashed the NCAA record for assists in a game (he had 22) to go along with 26 points, three 3-pointers and four rebounds on Dec. 19 against Northwestern State.

After the first 12 games of the season, Young’s Sooners sat at a surprising 11-1 and with him leading the nation at 29.5 points and 10.7 assists on 47.5 percent shooting and 41.3 percent accuracy from 3-point range.

At the time, Young thought that start would clear up some of the questions that surrounded him coming into college. As it turns out, those questions would resurface with the way he and the Sooners limped to the finish line.

Oklahoma followed up the 11-1 start with a 7-13 finish – one in which it did not win a road game or neutral-site game (0-11) after the calendar flipped to 2018. That poor finish included a 104-74 loss at Kansas on Feb. 19 and a six-game skid where the Sooners didn’t win from Jan. 30 to Feb. 24. Also, there was a marquee showdown against Alabama in which some observers thought fellow draft prospect Collin Sexton (18 points, two assists, eight-of-14 shooting, three turnovers) outplayed Young (17 points, eight assists, six-fo-17 shooting, five turnovers) on Jan. 27.

The weight of being a marked man – his accomplishments were all the rage on the national highlight shows early in the season – seemed to take a toll on Young as the season progressed. With no other Top-100 recruits on the OU roster, Young’s usage rate soared as he was expected to simultaneously score and set up others for easy baskets – all while being regularly face-guarded and often double-teamed by foes. As a result, he shot just 32.8 percent from the floor and 32.8 percent from 3-point range over the final 20 games. He still averaged 26.1 points and 7.6 assists a night, but his turnovers soared to the point that his final total (161) also led the nation.

Still, Young felt he accomplished more than most expected from him. He admitted to playing all season with a chip on his shoulder – a mindset that he will take with him to the NBA.

``As far as being a one-and-done … a lot of people had me as the fourth or fifth best point guard in my class … so, I felt like I had something to prove coming into this year,’’ Young said boldly. ``I felt like I did pretty good with that this year, but I still have a lot of hard work and a lot of stuff to get better at.

``I’ll always have that chip on my shoulder until I hang my shoes up,’’ he added. ``No matter how long I play this game, the chip on my shoulder will always be there. That won’t change.’’

Whether or not that will allow him to be a superstar the caliber of Curry or Nash remains to be seen. Young’s freshman numbers (27.4 ppg., 8.7 apg., 1.7 spg., 5.2 TOpg., 42.2 FG percent, 36 3FG percent) hold up when stacked against what Curry did at Davidson as a junior (28.6 ppg., 5.6 apg., 2.5 spg., 3.7 TOpg., 45.4 FG percent, 38.7 3FG percent) or what Nash did in his finest season at Santa Clara as a sophomore (20.9 ppg., 6.4 apg., 1.7 spg., 4.2 TOpg., 44.4 FG percent, 45.4 3FG percent). Or did Young simply craft those kinds of gaudy numbers simply because his usage rage (37.1 possessions per game) was far greater than anything Curry was ever asked to do at Davidson (31.6 possessions per game as a college junior)?

Curry, of course, overcame ankle injuries early in his career and went on to win two NBA titles, two MVP awards and his Warriors are heavy favorites to win a third championship this season. Nash, who last played in 2014 following a 14-year career, won MVPs in 2005 and ’06, led the NBA in assists five times and finished third all-time in assists with 10,335.

Young ponders those numbers and feels that he has the potential to eventually live up to those lofty standards. To his credit, he not only doesn’t run away from the Curry or Nash comparisons given to him, he fully embraces them.

``I’m just getting started in this thing and hopefully I can achieve some of those same things,’’ he said, referring to the accomplishments set by Nash and Curry.

``I think I bring a lot to a team,’’ he promised. ``I can bring an immediate impact off the court as well as on the court. As far as my skill set, I space out the defense, I can attack defenders in multiple ways and get my teammates involved. I can pretty much do it all for a team and I’m looking forward to making a huge impact for whatever team I go to.’’

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Steve Nash is Trae Young's Favorite All-Time Player

ORLANDO - Long before he was ever officially affiliated with an NBA team, Jeff Weltman would discuss, debate and even argue at times about talent and team building with his father, Harry Weltman, who was a long-time GM in the ABA and NBA.

Weltman, the Orlando Magic’s President of Basketball Operations, has dedicated so much of his life to the nebulous nature of constructing rosters and prospecting for talent out of the college ranks. Because there are so many ways to do the job and so many contrasting variables at play, Weltman knows full well that the task can be as complex a scientist mixing volatile chemicals or as simplistic as a toddler assembling a 500-piece puzzle. Twenty-nine years of experience in doing the job has taught him that every detail – both large and small – factor into culling the right sort of players from the NBA Draft to add to a roster.

``That’s a great challenge because there are so many things to consider and factor in,’’ Weltman said this weekend from Chicago’s NBA Draft Combine. ``Personalities and how everything fits together – much of it is non-predictive. You can do all the work, all the preparation and crunch all the numbers and you still can’t know what it’s going to look like after you make your decision. That’s the beauty of it, the challenge of it and it’s really exciting.’’

Weltman, who has been part of major turnarounds with the Clippers, Nuggets, Pistons, Bucks and Raptors and is hoping to do the same with the Magic, is teeming with excitement about a June 21 NBA Draft that is loaded with diverse and difference-making talent. Even though the Magic didn’t get much help from the NBA Draft Lottery earlier in the week and will pick sixth overall, Weltman is confident that Orlando will ultimately emerge with a dynamic, young player capable of impacting the team right away.

Weltman, GM John Hammond, assistant GMs Pete D’Alessandro and Matt Lloyd and others in the front office spent four days interviewing and evaluating players that Orlando could consider come draft night with its one first-round pick and two second-round selections. The Magic were strategic in how they utilized their allotment of 20 30-minute interview sessions, casting a wide net and trying to speak with prospects projected to go in and out of their draft range.

The Magic spoke with big men Mohamed Bamba and Jaren Jackson Jr. as well as point guards Trae Young and Collin Sexton. The Magic sat down with plenty of others, as well, asking probing and rapid-fire questions and working to set up future individual workouts in Orlando. Weltman came away from the sessions even more encouraged by the depth of talent and character that runs throughout this year’s class.

``It’s a deep draft, a good draft and a draft that a lot of people who specialize in the evaluation from the high-school levels has been flagging for quite a while,’’ Weltman said. ``And we’re excited to be where we are in this draft.’’

Where the Magic are at No. 6 could potentially position them to catch a top talent that drops after there’s a run on one position or others seek to fill specific needs. Phoenix, Sacramento, Atlanta, Memphis and Dallas are ahead of Orlando in the pecking order of the draft, but that is subject to change as plenty of trade chatter filled the gymnasium in Chicago this past week. Weltman said he would leave Chicago this week even more convinced that Orlando is perfectly positioned to nab a top talent.

``I think in this draft it’s wide-open,’’ said Weltman, who is also leading the Magic’s search for a new head coach. ``Usually, you could usually draw line and say, `These six or seven will go in some order,’ but as we sit here more than a month before the draft I really think it’s wide-open as to what that order looks like. We could get the same player today at six that will go a month from now at two.’’

Orlando hopes to use the aforementioned month debating and evaluating a variety of factors that will go into its decision. Do the Magic shift their focus toward defense and draft a shot-swatting big man such as the 7-foot Bamba, who recorded the most expansive wing span (7 feet, 10 inches) in the history of the Draft Combine? Do they address the glaring need at point guard by picking a scoring and playmaking difference-maker such as Young? Do they take a chance on swingman Michael Porter Jr., who was once thought to be the top talent available before a back injury wiped out much of his one collegiate season?

And those are just a few of the factors in play. How would the prospects mesh with players already on Orlando’s roster? How will they fit with whoever is ultimately named Orlando’s head coach? Have they topped out in terms of talent or will they continue to grow? Ready to play now or still need time? Maturity?

The list of questions goes on and on and on, Weltman noted with a laugh. That’s why the week spent in Chicago at the Draft Combine proved so vitally important.

``This is such a valuable tool for us. We don’t get to have any interaction with them during the season, so not only do we get to watch them here, we’re interviewing them and interacting with them in a way that we never have before,’’ Weltman said. ``Some of it is really making sure what we’ve learned about them is accurate. It’s really just about getting a feel for their energy, personality, their ability to lock in and how they interact with people. It just helps in learning about where they are in their curve and their readiness to play in the league, readiness to deal with coaches and all that comes with the NBA.’’

As for the age-old NBA debate of ``greatest need versus best player available,’’ Weltman said: ``Obviously, there are so many levers when you look at the draft and you have to balance out a guy’s development curve, balance out team needs, balance out upside and downside. Every one of those factors kind of shift the conversation. But, ultimately, you’d like to hope that things line up so that you end up picking the best player.’’

As if Weltman didn’t already have enough to consider already, he might also need to peer into a crystal ball and try to predict where the NBA game is headed next. Likely, no one ever envisioned a small-ball style of play that teams such as Cleveland, Golden State and Houston have perfected with forwards such as LeBron James, Draymond Green and P.J. Tucker logging time at center as teammates heave 3-point shots in record-numbers.

Despite that dramatic shift to perimeter play, as many as five of the first seven picks in next month’s draft could be centers or power forwards. Is that potential shift back to big, bully ball something Weltman should take into account with the Magic’s first pick? Or does he bring Orlando’s offense more into line with the current style of play with a point guard such Oklahoma’s Young, who has tremendous passing vision and limitless shooting range? Considering all of the factors in play it’s a good thing Weltman has been thinking about talent evaluation and team building most of his life.

``The way the league is evolving, the point guard position has become one of, if not the most important, position,’’ Weltman said. ``You’ve got to have guys who can play that position in a traditional sense in terms of being able to facilitate and establish a rhythm for others and also being able to score. That position continues to evolve as the game does and then, obviously, the rise of two-way players (is important). Guys who can maybe not contain the ball entirely, but they can at least steer it where you want it to go.’’

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Magic Will Have Plenty to Evaluate Leading Up to Draft

CHICAGO - On Jan. 27 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., the basketball world got a sneak peek at the kind of fiery, back-and-forth, on-court battle that could eventually play out in draft rooms throughout the NBA in the weeks leading up to the June 21st NBA Draft.

Trae Young or Collin Sexton? Collin Sexton or Trae Young?

Most mock drafts consider Young and Sexton – both 19 years old and entering the NBA after just one season of college – as the top two point guards available. While Young has a distinct advantage thanks to his seemingly limitless range as a 3-point shooter and his playmaking skills, Sexton has become a fashionable choice for some others because of his abilities as a two-way guard and the undeniable toughness he honed while playing for former NBA standout point guard Avery Johnson at the University of Alabama.

Young, the first and only player to lead NCAA basketball in scoring and assists in the same season, tried to shoot down the comparisons between he and any other point guard on Friday at the NBA Combine in Chicago. Asked if he was the best scorer in this draft, Young showed some of the bravado that helped him average 27.4 points and 8.7 assists a game this past season.

``I think I’m the best overall player in this draft,’’ Young said candidly. ``My main focus isn’t to be the best player in this draft; my goal is to be the best player in the NBA and that’s what I’m focusing on each and every day.’’

Young and Sexton showed off their skills and competitiveness back in January when Young brought his Oklahoma Sooners into Alabama to face off with Sexton in a nationally televised, highly anticipated game. And the fans weren’t the only ones with their eyes glued to the point guard showdown as 55 scouts from 25 NBA teams descended on Tuscaloosa for the contentious, afternoon affair.

In Alabama’s 80-73 defeat of Oklahoma, Sexton scored 18 points on just 14 shots and grabbed three rebounds, but he had one more turnover (three) than he did assists (two). Young was blatantly face-guarded and double-teamed as soon as he crossed half court and hounded by fans all afternoon, but he still managed 17 points, four 3-pointers and eight assists. The intense pressure and lack of help from his teammates took a toll, however, as he turned the ball over five times, missed 11 of 17 shots and saw a couple of his 3-point shots result in air balls.

Sexton, who one anonymous scout told Bleacher Report was ``bigger, stronger and more athletic’’ than Young, is hopeful that NBA teams keep that night in mind when picking in next month’s draft. Humble and well-schooled in how to remain so by Johnson, Sexton said in Chicago at the NBA Combine that it absolutely mattered to him that he be the first point guard drafted.

``I feel like it will serve as a measuring stick because they’ll look at that game to see what really happened, look at the matchup and who played the harder game and who played the most physical,’’ Sexton said candidly. ``Yes, it would be special to be the first guard picked, but I just have to go with the best team that picks me.’’

Added Young: ``That was a very competitive game. Collin is a very good player on both ends. He’s somebody who competes at a high level and it was fun competing against him. It was a good game.’’

One team that could be in line to pick either Young or Sexton is the Orlando Magic, owners of the No. 6 selection following Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery. The Magic met with both point guards this week and hope to bring them to Orlando in the coming weeks for individual workouts and additional meetings.

It will be the second consecutive year that the rebuilding Magic pick sixth and they will undoubtedly be looking for a young player who can grow alongside of 20-year-old forward Jonathan Isaac. Playing with the 6-foot-11, 222-pound Isaac would be nothing new to Young.

``I’ve known Jonathan since I was in high school,’’ said Young, who attended high school in Norman, Okla. and stayed home for college. ``We’ve played with each other and against each other in AAU and I’ve actually talked to him a few times this year. I mean, he’s a good dude. I love his skill set, he’s a really good player and he had a good rookie year. I can’t wait to see his continued success, for sure.’’

In February, Orlando traded Elfrid Payton – its point guard for 3 ½ seasons – to the Phoenix Suns because of his struggles shooting and defending. That left the Magic with reliable veterans D.J. Augustin and Shelvin Mack at point guard, but without a true difference maker at the position that has become the deepest and arguably the most vital.

``The way the league is evolving, the point guard position has become one of, if not the most important, position," Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said. "You’ve got to have guys who can play that position in a traditional sense in terms of being able to facilitate and establish a rhythm for others and also being able to score. That position continues to evolve as the game does and then, obviously, the rise of two-way players (is important). Guys who can maybe not contain the ball entirely, but they can at least steer it where you want it to go.’’

Despite his sleight frame, Young steered Oklahoma to one of the most exhilarating seasons in school history because of his ability to pile up points and keep teammates involved. His roster didn’t have another top-100-rated player around him, so he shouldered an enormous load, scoring 25 points 21 times, 30 points 10 times and authoring four 40-point games.

Clearly fatigued by a usage rate that would make NBA MVP Russell Westbrook seem passive, Young wore down as the season progressed. In the time since Oklahoma was eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Rhode Island (he had 28 points, seven assists and five rebounds), Young said he’s worked to improve his strength and stamina. The progress he has made, he stressed, is just the start of the greatness that he will display in the NBA for whatever team that is wise enough to draft him.

``Right now, my main focus is getting my body right,’’ said Young, who added that he’s continued to work out in Chicago before hours of meetings with teams and prospective shoe companies. ``I’ve picked up 10 pounds of muscle in the past five weeks and we’re still five weeks off from the draft and I’m in the same process of getting my body ready to handle 82 games in the season.

``I’m excited about getting the opportunity to show people that I can play defense,’’ he added. ``I’m actually super excited to show that from Day 1.’’

The same goes for Sexton, who just might be more of a complete guard because of his blinding speed, toughness and willing to fight. Sexton was at his best when the games were the biggest, crafting his best performances against Young (eight-of-14 shooting) and in the SEC Tournament (26.3 ppg., 5.1 rpg., 3.0 apg.) and NCAA Tournament (25 points against Virginia Tech and 17 vs. eventual National Champion Villanova). That, he says, tells a lot about his competitive nature and his ability to be great.

``I like playing on the big stage and I feel like that’s what makes me really thrive. I really want to do good when it’s a big stage. That’s when I feel like it’s time,’’ Sexton said. ``I bring leadership, an ability to score and I’m able to put the ball on the floor, use my speed and play both ends – that’s real big in the NBA, too.’’

The major difference between Young and Sexton is their abilities as outside shooters – Young connected on 36 percent of his threes, while Sexton hit only 33.6 percent from beyond the arc. Sexton said he’s working diligently to improve his outside shot and eventually he will be seen as the more complete guard – even when compared to Young.

``I feel like I play both ends of the court and I play a lot more physical,’’ the former Alabama star said. ``I can use my speed, my ability and my athleticism to my advantage.’’

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The Collin Sexton vs. Trae Young Debate

CHICAGO - Whereas most mock drafts have towering Texas center Mohamed Bamba slotted somewhere below consensus top-two picks DeAndre Ayton and Luka Doncic, the big man with the largest wingspan in the history of the NBA Draft Combine emphatically and confidently swatted that theory away like a shot attempt on Thursday.

``Absolutely, I believe that I have the tools, the presence and all the make-up to be the No. 1 pick,’’ Bamba said. ``I think (the media) will see more and more as draft night comes up that I’m right there with those guys, if not the number one pick. To answer the question in a sentence: `I do more, but require less, on the court and off the court. I feel that I’m the most efficient guy in this draft class.’’

If Bamba is wrong about being the top pick in the June 21 NBA Draft – and you might have a hard time convincing him of that considering that confidence practically oozes out his every pore – he should be one of the top selections of teams selecting in the top 10. Whether or not he is available when the star-starved Orlando Magic pick at No. 6 remains to be seen, but he’s already met with the franchise’s front office and he already has a strong relationship with 6-foot-11 forward Jonathan Isaac.

``They had pretty interesting things to say and obviously I sit pretty high as far as fit and what I could bring,’’ Bamba said on Thursday in Chicago, referring to his meetings with Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman, GM John Hammond and others in the front office. ``I’m really good friends with Jon (Isaac) and he’s a great dude. You know, I know the (front-office) guys down in Orlando really like length and luckily for me I’m pretty lengthy.’’

Is he ever lengthy? `Mo,’ as he has been affectionately nicknamed by teammates and those close to him, had his wingspan measured at 7-foot, 10 inches – three inches longer than the next closest prospect for this draft (Kansas’ Udoka Azubuike). Bamba’s reach is even more expansive than the 7-feet, 8 1/2-inch reach of Utah center Rudy Gobert, a strong candidate to win this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award in the NBA. Combine Bamba’s reach with his 7-foot-3/4 height and he is within a quarter-inch of reaching the rim while standing flat-footed.

Undoubtedly, he said, that jaw-dropping length with help him ultimately become a game-changer in the NBA for whatever team selects him in the draft.

``I was actually short-arming it every time I did the test,’’ Bamba joked, referring to the testing he was put through to check his weight (225.6 pounds), body fat index (6.2 percent), hand width (10.25 inches) and hand length (9.75 inches). ``I was pretty surprised myself (about his wingspan). Honestly, this might sound cliché, but I think I’ve grown a little bit since the pre-draft process started. That’s just wild to me.

``One word to summarize it all would be my `presence,’ both offensively and defensively,’’ he added confidently. ``The presence that I have is pretty profound, more than any other prospect.’’

Bamba’s raw numbers likely will have GMs of teams at the top of the draft going back and watching and re-watching videotape of the center’s games while playing one season at the University of Texas. In 29 games, he averaged 12.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.7 blocks a game while shooting 60.3 percent from the floor. Undoubtedly, GMs and scouts will be impressed by the 22-point, 15-rebound, eight-block effort he hung on Kansas earlier in the season and they won’t be able to miss the 25-point, 15-rebound, four-block effort against Ole Miss. He swatted at least four shots 19 times, including a career-best eight against Kansas, seven against Texas Tech, six versus TCU and another five against Texas Tech.

As for his self-described ``presence,’’ he said it means a variety of things that all center around his ability to change a game with his defensive abilities.

``It’s just about being an elite rim-protector,’’ he said. ``One difference between me and any other prospect in this class is presence. If I’m plugged into the NBA right now – I don’t want to be cocky when I say this – but I feel I’d be one of the best rim protectors in the league as a rookie. It’s something that I’ve really tried to master early in my career and it’s only going to get better.’’

Bamba said it’s only natural that his game be compared to that of Utah’s Gobert, the center who has been nicknamed ``The Stifle Tower’’ because of his wingspan and his French roots. Like Gobert, Bamba said the greatness of his defensive style in in his versatility.

``I don’t think the comparisons (with Gobert) come just because of the wingspan,’’ said Bamba, a native of Harlem, whose parents migrated from the Ivory Coast. ``There are a lot of lengthy guys that people could compare me to, but what they see when they compare me to Rudy is our presence. We both have switch-ability, we protect the rim and they see more than the numbers around the wingspan.’’

Bamba, who sought out advice from NBA legend David Robinson not long after declaring for the draft, met with 13 different teams on Wednesday and Thursday. They quizzed him about everything from his ``love for the game,’’ his supposed ``low motor’’ and the things that make him different as a player. He didn’t hold back in stressing his strengths – something he said will eventually get him in contention to be the top overall pick.

``What makes me unique is my ability to adapt to different situations and switch onto smaller guards and stay out there,’’ Bamba said. ``Another component to being out there on the floor – and this is something that I learned as my college career went on – was staying on the floor, literally, comes down to not picking up fouls.

``I feel that I can be plugged in right away and have a profound impact on any team,’’ he added. ``As far as what teams need and what I need, I’m open to anything a team has to say about how they envision me in their future. And I think I will be successful in the very near future.’’

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Draft Prospect Mohamed Bamba Exudes Confidence

CHICAGO - In today’s NBA, analytics-driven thinking rules many of the machinations of the league much the way the dynastic Golden State Warriors have for four seasons. Rarely is a decision made – be it offensive shot selections or defensive schemes, lineup combinations or offseason additions – without them being precisely planned, dissected and/or analyzed from every imaginable angle.

Then, there’s the NBA Draft Lottery, this whimsical, fickle and downright zany process that can dictate the fate of a basketball franchise for generations. In a sport that is becoming increasingly controlled by analytics and process-driven thinking, the lottery flies in the face of all conventional wisdom with its odd randomness, using ping-pong balls instead of basketballs to shape the future of franchises. Despite all that, the impact and importance of the Lottery can’t be denied to teams looking to get good in a hurry with the top-tier talent that usually comes out of the early portion of the NBA Draft.

``Maybe we need to take a look at the analytics of the ping-pong balls,’’ Orlando Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said jokingly.

Weltman’s Magic suffered through the cruel nature that the NBA Lottery can sometimes produce on Tuesday night when Orlando emerged with the sixth pick – one spot lower than it came into the night with after posting the NBA’s fifth-worst record (25-57). Frustratingly, it’s the fourth time in the past six lotteries that the Magic have fallen back from their statistical positioning entering the process.

ESPN.com reported on Wednesday that in the actual NBA-supervised drawing for the top overall spot, Orlando – along with Cleveland and Sacramento – nailed the first three numbers of the four-digit combination (6, 9 and 12) only to lose out to the Phoenix Suns when a `1’ was the final numbered ping-pong ball to pop up in the hopper.

Such is luck in the lotto when it’s ping-pong balls instead of bouncing basketballs deciding the outcome.

``The great thing about the lottery is it makes all of us into fans,’’ said Weltman, who along with several other Magic staffers started interviewing potential draft-pick targets on Wednesday in Chicago. ``There’s no strategy, no coaching, no expertise. We’re all just holding hands with Magic fans everywhere hoping for the best. You’re obviously wishing for those balls to bounce your way, but as I’ve said, this is a very good draft and we’ll come away with a good player.’’

Other teams, such as the Memphis Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks, suffered similar fates as the Magic, falling two spots from their statistical projections and will draft fourth and fifth, respectively, just ahead of Orlando.

Then, there’s the cases of the Kings and the Atlanta Hawks. Sacramento, which won 27 games this past season, lost a tiebreaker with Chicago for the sixth-best odds, but ultimately rose up from seventh to second. It’s the second straight year that the Kings won more regular-season games than the Magic, but still jumped them in the draft.

Similarly, the Hawks lost a pre-lottery tiebreaker with the Mavericks and came into Tuesday with the night’s fourth-best odds. As it turns out, losing the tiebreaker was stroke of luck as Atlanta climbed to the No. 3 draft position.

Orlando could have potentially been in that tiebreaker with Dallas and Atlanta had it not won its regular-season finale against the Washington Wizards. Conversely, if the Magic had simply won more – say, just twice more in the 82-game season – they would have been in the tiebreaker with the Bulls and Kings and might have been the team zipping up to the second overall pick.

Weltman, GM John Hammond and other front-office staffers with the Magic interviewed roughly a dozen college standouts on Wednesday in an attempt to learn more about the athletes who could be available to the franchise with the No. 6 pick. Top talents such as Arizona center DeAndre Ayton, Michigan State center Jaren Jackson Jr., Duke power forward Marvin Bagley III, Texas shot-blocker Mohamed Bamba, Duke center Wendell Carter, Oklahoma point guard Trae Young, Alabama point guard Collin Sexton and Michigan State forward Miles Bridges attended the lottery on Tuesday and were still in Chicago on Wednesday to begin interviewing with teams possessing picks in the top half of the June 21 NBA Draft.

Soon, Weltman said, the Magic will begin the process of scheduling Orlando visits for many of those players so that the team can put them through individual workouts and learn more about their personalities. Weltman, who guided the Magic in landing promising forward Jonathan Isaac with the No. 6 pick last year, lent some insight into his philosophy in drafting just outside the top five for a second straight season.

``The draft is the time when you always want to have the best available player because you just don’t get a crack at this level of player this often where you are picking this high,’’ Weltman said. ``Obviously, we’ll put all of that in because there are a lot of different things to factor in and maybe (best player available) is a tiebreaker factor. But the general rule of thumb for most NBA teams is you pick the guy you think will be the best player.’’

Weltman said there should still be plenty of difference-making players available when the Magic pick at No. 6 because of the depth and variety in the upcoming draft class. It is a player grouping that Weltman has watched grow and develop from afar for years and he is confident that despite the bit of bad lottery luck on Tuesday, the Magic can still find a stellar young building block from the No. 6 draft position.

``I wouldn’t say disappointment; the odds coming in were that we’d likely go from five to six – that was the greatest likelihood,’’ Weltman said. ``Obviously, we hoped for the best and wanted to come out with a top-three pick, but you just take the results and now it’s time to go to work.

``I think this is a draft and a class that the league has been eye-balling for a while now,’’ Weltman added. ``To be picking in the top six in this draft, I think that bodes well for us.’’

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Magic Expect to Land Difference Maker With Sixth Pick

CHICAGO - An Orlando Magic franchise that repeatedly benefitted so greatly from the NBA’s Draft Lottery early in its existence, landing them cornerstone superstars Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway and Dwight Howard, suffered through the fickle, luck-based downside of the process again on Tuesday.

Armed with the fifth-best odds at winning the No. 1 pick in the June 21 NBA Draft and simply hoping to remain in the top five, the Magic instead fell to the sixth pick in the Draft Lottery. Once known for repeatedly shocking the basketball world with its lotto luck, the Magic fell back in the draft order for a fourth time in the past six lotteries.

Also, it will be the second consecutive season that the Magic will pick at No. 6. Orlando selected promising forward Jonathan Isaac at No. 6 last year and it views him as a primary building block for years to come because of his rare combination of talent, physical gifts and basketball smarts. Now, the Magic will try and find another top talent to put next to Isaac with the No. 6 pick.

``I feel very strongly that we’ll get a good player,’’ said Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman, who represented the franchise on the podium for the televised portion of the lottery. ``This is the exact same thing that happened to us as last year when we went from five to six and we got Jonathan Isaac. We’re very excited about him and we’ll be very excited about the player that we pick this year.’’

Orlando, which struggled to a 25-57 record this past season and fired head coach Frank Vogel on April 12, fell to sixth after Sacramento jumped it in the lottery for a second straight year. The Magic will pick behind Phoenix (first), Sacramento (second), Atlanta (third), Memphis (fourth) and Dallas (fifth). The Grizzlies plunged from the second-best odds to the No. 4 pick, while Atlanta surged from fourth to third.

Also, it was the fourth consecutive year that the team with the best overall odds – the Suns, in this case – won the No. 1 pick.

The Magic came into the night with just an 8.8 percent chance of nabbing the first pick and 26.1 percent odds of landing in the top three. But those slim odds did them little good once again in this lottery. Orlando fell back in the 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018 lotteries.

The rest of the first round unfolded according to the odds with Denver getting the 14th pick, the Los Angeles Clippers getting No. 13 and 12 (from Detroit), while Charlotte slotted in at No. 11 and Philadelphia (from the Los Angeles Lakers) is at No. 10. The Knicks will pick ninth, while Cleveland (from Boston) picks eighth and Chicago will select seventh.

``This is the system and it’s a lot of fun for the fans and it adds some excitement to the process,’’ Weltman said of the fickle nature of a draft that revolves around the bounces of ping-pong balls. ``At the end of the day it doesn’t increase of diminish the amount of work that we have to do. Wherever you come out, you have to work to apply your process and get the best guy in a Magic uniform. That starts tomorrow.’’

Weltman, the man in charge of rebuilding the roster, admitted to feeling nerves and anticipation on the podium as the picks were systematically unveiled. He had to have breathed a sigh of relief when the Magic didn’t fall to the eighth spot – the worst possible scenario based on their statistical odds. Weltman stressed that despite the disappointment of falling to No. 6, the Magic can still snag a difference-making player just as they did last year in drafting the 6-foot-11 Isaac.

``Our scouting guys have done an excellent job and they’ve worked their tails off and now we’ll get in a room and we start to apply our processes and watch videos (of game action),’’ Weltman said. ``It’s very important that we start to bring guys in for visits and get to know them more intimately than we were able to before this juncture. We look forward to that and all of the layers that we start to peel off the onion and get to work.’’

Magic Senior Vice President and co-founder Pat Williams, the executive so often associated with Orlando lotto luck through the years, was seated in the sequestered room where the actual ping-pong ball draw was conducted 90 minutes prior to the announcement. For years, Williams made it something of a tradition to take some sort of good luck charm to the lottery and this year was no different as he had a ``Lil’ Penny’’ doll that was modeled after Hardaway during his glory days with the Magic from 1993-99. This week is the 25-year anniversary of the Magic winning the 1993 Draft Lottery.

Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery was the start of what figures to be a busy several weeks for the Magic. The NBA Scouting Combine, an event where some of the top draft prospects will take physicals and interview with teams, begins on Wednesday in Chicago.

The Magic are also still in the process of hiring a new coach. Vogel, the team’s coach the past two seasons, was sacked at the conclusion of the season. Orlando is one of four NBA teams currently without a head coach, joining Detroit, Milwaukee and Toronto.

``The process has been deliberate and thorough, and we’re pleased with the guys we have interviewed,’’ Weltman said. ``We continue to move forward and I’m excited about the candidates that we’re thinking of right now.

``I won’t comment on the process or the timetable, but I do feel like it’s moving at a good speed and we’re meeting with very qualified coaches,’’ Weltman added.

In the coming weeks the Magic will begin bringing top players into Orlando for individual workouts and visits with the franchise’s coaches and leadership group. That process will likely go all the way up to the NBA Draft, which will be held on June 21 in New York.

University of Arizona center DeAndre Ayton and European forward Luka Doncic are widely considered the top two players in the draft, but the order in which they are selected will continue to be filled with intrigue leading up to the draft. The next wave of talent includes Michigan State center Jaren Jackson Jr., Duke power forward Marvin Bagley III, Texas shot-blocker Mohamed Bamba, Oklahoma point guard Trae Young and Alabama point guard Collin Sexton – players who could potentially be plucked in any order based on the needs of certain teams.

``I think it is a deep class and it’s one that people have been looking to for a couple of years,’’ Weltman said. ``(Analysts) have been saying all along that it’s going to be a deep draft, and now that it’s upon us, everyone still feels that it is.’’

Sexton, one of the players expected to be available in the areas where the Magic will pick, attended Tuesday’s draft lottery. He said he is anxious to see where he will be headed in the future as he makes the jump from college basketball to the NBA.

``It was amazing because every year you see this and watch it on TV and it’s a really big event,’’ Sexton said. ``You look at (teams that need point guards such as himself), but I just wanted to see what teams got which picks. It’s just going to be learning experience (going to the NBA) and it will be a transition to either one of these (NBA teams).’’

Whereas the lottery was often there to reward the Magic early in the franchise’s existence, it has done nothing but frustrate Orlando in recent years. The Magic build a budding dynasty in the mid-1990s by winning the lotteries in 1992 and ’93 and landing O’Neal and Hardaway. Both played major roles in Orlando reaching the 1995 NBA Finals and ’96 Eastern Conference Finals and both are in the Magic Hall of Fame today.

Orlando won the lottery again in 2004 and used the top pick to select Howard. The big man, who still ranks as the franchise’s all-time leader in points, rebounds and blocked shots, led the Magic to the 2009 NBA Finals and the ’10 Eastern Conference Finals.

Howard’s contentious departure in 2012 led the Magic back to the lottery where they hoped to get lucky again in rebuilding their roster. Instead, they either failed to improve on their spot entering the lottery or fell and cost themselves shots at nabbing some of the game’s best players today.

Despite having the best odds in the 2013 lottery, the Magic fell to second and drafted Victor Oladipo, who has since gone on to become a standout with the Indiana Pacers. In 2014, Orlando fell from third to fourth, causing them to miss out of Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid. In 2015 (Mario Hezonja at No. 5) and 2016 (Domantas Sabonis at No. 11) the Magic remained at the spot where they entered the lottery. A year ago, the Magic saw Sacramento jump into the top-five and they were forced to pick sixth. Orlando made the best of that situation by selecting Isaac.

When Sacramento jumped up to No. 2 on Tuesday night, it knocked the Magic back a spot in the draft order. While there could be a case made that Orlando hurt its draft chances with a victory in the season-finale game against Washington, the opposite side of the argument is that if the Magic had won two more games they might have jumped up in the lottery just as the 27-win Kings did for a second straight season.

``The draft is always the time when you always want to have the best available player because you just don’t get a crack at this level of player this often where you are picking this high,’’ Weltman said. ``Obviously, we’ll put all of that in because there are a lot of different things to factor in and maybe (best player available) is a tiebreaker factor. But the general rule of thumb for most NBA teams is you pick the guy you think will be the best player.’’

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Magic Will Select Sixth in 2018 NBA Draft

CHICAGO - Much like a reliable, old friend always there to lend a helping hand in a time of need, the NBA Draft Lottery repeatedly assisted the Orlando Magic when they found themselves in dire circumstances from 1992 through 2004.

Of late, however, the Magic have been mostly hung out to dry by their old friend as their lotto luck has disappeared the past six seasons. Stuck in the longest playoff drought in franchise history and coming off another disappointing season, the Magic are needing to rekindle their luck in the lottery for assistance that could dramatically reverse their fortunes.

Orlando is hopeful of defying the odds and moving up – if not outright winning the top overall draft spot – when the NBA’s Draft Lottery is held in Chicago on Tuesday (7:30-8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). It is the first time in the 33-year history of the fickle, landscape-changing event that the ping-pong balls will bounce outside of the metropolitan New York City area as the NBA takes the made-for-television show to America’s Midwest.

``It’s exciting and it’s just fun to think of all the possibilities,’’ said Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman, who will represent the franchise on the podium for the event. ``We still think regardless of what happens that we’re still going to get a good player either way.’’

The Magic, three-time winners of the lottery in the 29-year history of the franchise, will need to get extremely lucky to make a significant jump up from where they sit with the NBA’s fifth-best odds. They have just an 8.8 percent chance of landing the top pick and only a 29.1 percent shot of moving into the top three of the June 21st NBA Draft. Orlando can fall no lower than eighth – a thought it undoubtedly doesn’t even want to entertain considering its need in adding elite-level talent.

Weltman will be seated on the podium for the televised portion of the proceedings, while Senior Vice President Pat Williams – the man most well-known for Orlando’s lotto luck in 1992, ’93 and 2004 – will be in the room where the actual lottery process is conducted earlier in the night. Weltman has been back in the room where the actual lottery takes place once before, but he’s never sat on the podium before on lottery night. He expects his nerves will be firing in anticipation of hearing about Orlando’s draft position fate.

``I think the coolest thing about the lottery is that we’re all just fans who are hoping for the ping-pong balls to bounce our way,’’ Weltman said. ``Everyone who is rooting for the Orlando Magic is in the same boat and I’m just another passenger. That’s the fun thing about the lottery.’’

Through the years, Williams has taken dozens of good-luck charms and trinkets to the lottery in hopes of conjuring some lucky vibes for the Magic. On Tuesday, Weltman will have a similar sort of charm in his pocket, but he doesn’t want to reveal what it is so as to not jinx the karma of the night.

``I do have a little trinket, but I can’t talk about it or it won’t work,’’ Weltman said with a chuckle. ``That’s my thought with that. It’s a little family item that we put together and came up with a few years ago.’’

Orlando is still without a head coach after firing Frank Vogel on April 12 – a day after concluding a 25-57 season that saw it slump badly following a 6-2 start. Weltman and GM John Hammond have been screening potential head coaches to lead the franchise going forward.

Weltman declined to address the Magic’s coaching search on Monday, but did say, ``I think it’s been a fruitful process for us and I think we’re making progress.’’

Phoenix (25 percent), Memphis (19.9 percent), Dallas (13.8 percent) and Atlanta (13.7 percent) have better odds than the Magic at snagging the top overall selection. Had it not won the final game of the season, Orlando would have been in a three-way tie with Dallas and Atlanta for the league’s third-worst record and it would have been in a previously conducted lottery to determine the team with the third-best odds. The Mavericks ultimately won that lottery, edging out the Hawks.

Weltman said that positioning should matter very little in this draft because it is considered to be deep with talent and loaded with difference-making players.

``I think it is a deep class and it’s one that people have been looking to for a couple of years,’’ he said. ``(Analysts) have been saying all along that it’s going to be a deep draft, and now that it’s upon us, everyone still feels that it is.

``Obviously, we want to do well in the lottery and get a lucky bounce,’’ Weltman added. ``But at the end of the day we feel confident that we’ll be able to get a good player who can grow with the team and help us win.’’

The top overall prize in next month’s NBA Draft very well could be DeAndre Ayton, a physically dominant 7-foot center who might evoke comparisons to Shaquille O’Neal or Dwight Howard. Those difference-making cornerstones were both drafted by the Magic, of course, and both went on to lead Orlando to the NBA Finals – O’Neal in 1995 and Howard in 2009.

Orlando was 21-61 and starting Greg Kite at center in 1992 when lottery luck came its way and resulted in the Magic landing the top pick with which to snag the gargantuan O’Neal. Similarly, the Magic started 1-19 and finished 21-61 in 2003-04, putting them in position to draft Howard out of high school with the top pick in 2004.

The Magic pulled off one of the biggest shockers in the history of the NBA Draft Lottery in 1993. Despite possessing just one in 66 odds (0.015 chances), Orlando shocked the basketball world by grabbing No. 1 for a second straight season. The Magic drafted Chris Webber and traded him to Golden State for Penny Hardaway and three future first-round picks.

Following that stunning development – Pat Williams still recalls the icy glares he received that afternoon from teams unhappy with the Magic’s lotto luck – the NBA made it significantly more difficult for teams to defy the odds and win the lottery. Next year, the odds will chance once again in an attempt to deter teams from purposefully losing to improve their odds at winning the top overall pick.

From 2004-14, the teams with the worst records and best odds failed to win the lottery 10 straight years. Of late, however, the teams with the worst records have won the past three lotteries. Minnesota grabbed Karl-Anthony Towns first overall, while Philadelphia drafted Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz (following a trade with Boston).

Whereas the lottery was so beneficial to the Magic more than a decade ago, it has not paid off for the franchise in recent years. Orlando had the best overall odds in 2013 only to see Cleveland win the lottery with the league’s eighth-worst record. The Magic still got guard Victor Oladipo with the No. 2 pick that year after Cleveland selected disappointing forward Anthony Bennett.

Cleveland shockingly won the lottery again in 2014, pushing the Magic down from the No. 3 spot to the No. 4 spot. When Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid were the top three picks, Orlando selected forward Aaron Gordon, who recently crafted a career year in Orlando.

In 2015 and ’16, the Magic failed to make major moves upward in their draft positioning and picked where they were slotted leading into the night. Orlando stayed at No. 5 in 2015 and drafted Mario Hezonja and stayed at No. 11 in 2016 and drafted Domantas Sabonis (traded to the Thunder). Last year, Orlando fell from No. 5 to No. 6 when Sacramento defied the odds and rose up into the top five. The Magic ultimately selected towering forward Jonathan Isaac at No. 6 and he showed flashes of greatness in an injury-marred rookie season.

If the Magic once again fail to move up and remain at No. 5 in the draft order, they will likely be out of range to pick Ayton or European star Luka Doncic. Instead, they will likely select from a pool that includes Michigan State center Jaren Jackson Jr., Duke power forward Marvin Bagley III, Texas shot-blocker Mohamed Bamba or Oklahoma point guard Trae Young.

Following Tuesday’s lottery, the Magic will potentially have a chance to meet with some of the top players available at the NBA Scouting Combine in Chicago. And in the weeks ahead, the Magic hope to bring several of the top players into Orlando for individual workouts and specialized meetings with team personnel.

``There have been a couple of teams who have had a couple of workouts so far, but the upper-echelon workouts for the players in the lottery haven’t really started yet,’’ Weltman said. ``Agents usually want to wait and see how the lottery shakes out before they commit kids to certain visits. But as soon as the lottery comes and goes, we’ll be on the phone with those players and start booking those visits.’’

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Magic Hoping For Some Lottery Luck This Time Around

ticketmaster

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