[IMGL]http://www.justbball.com/images/avatars/magic_av.jpg[/IMGL]Orlando Magic Draft Preview By: Swish15 The Orlando Magic finished last year with a record below .500 and were looking for answers. The draft will give them a chance to fill some holes in their roster and will start the rebuilding process of this off season. Swish15 brings you a preview of the Orlando Magic draft and gives his insight on what the Magic should do when June 28th rolls around.
<font size="4"><div align="center"><u> Orlando Magic Draft Preview </u> </div></font> Many people were anticipating the new season as the Magic looked to rebuild. Three starters, Tracy McGrady, Tyronn Lue and Juwan Howard, were all traded away to the Rockets and the fans were looking forward to watching the team that didn't have one returning starter from the year before. Many story lines developed; Would Grant Hill be healthy enough to play? Did the Magic make the right decision drafting Dwight Howard with the #1 pick in the 2004 NBA Draft? Would the team have good chemistry after so many roster changes? Grant Hill did have a healthy season and was named an All-Star. Dwight Howard and Emeka Okafor put up similar numbers so the pick wasn't a mistake. The team had chemistry for most of the year but lacked at times after Cuttino Mobley was traded. The Magic ended last year finishing with a sub par 36-46 record while missing the playoffs. They showed several weak points that need to be improved and they need to use the draft to correct these problems. [IMGR]http://img92.echo.cx/img92/1628/magicstevefrancislooksforacall.jpg[/IMGR] First of all, they need to improve their shooting guard position. After Cuttino Mobley was traded, the Magic spent most of the season playing Steve Francis at shooting guard with Jameer Nelson running the offense from the point guard position. This hurt us since we were playing small ball at many times and opposing shooting guards were bigger and were able to score over Francis. They would usually post Francis up and score the easy two from underneath the basket. Steve Francis is a point guard and needs to stay at that position if the Magic want to compete next year. That is why we need a shooting guard to play beside Francis and let him go back to his natural position. Next, the Magic need to go after a power forward to play next to Dwight Howard who is moving to center next season. If Howard does move to center and the Magic don't draft a power forward, either Pat Garrity or Brandon Hunter will be starting and that would be a huge gap in the lineup. A power forward is an obvious need since there are many talented power forwards in the Eastern Conference (Jermaine O' Neal, Rasheed Wallace and Emeka Okafor). With several needs to fill, the Magic are going to have to make a decision on which position needs the most help. They have narrowed down the players they are looking to draft with the #11 pick down to five. Those players are Hakim Warrick, Joey Graham, Antoine Wright, Martell Webster and Charlie Villanueva. They have also said that they would love to get either Channing Frye or Danny Granger but since both players will most likely be gone by the time the Magic pick, the Magic will probably have to go with one of the five players I mentioned above.. I am going to break down each of these five scenarios and state how it would help our team and why we pick them. [IMGL]http://img147.echo.cx/img147/9601/2229073kk.jpg[/IMGL] <font size="2"> SF|PF Hakim Warrick - Syracuse - 6'8" - 220 lbs. 21.4 PPG| 8.6 RPG| 1.5 APG| 2.5 TO| 1 SPG| .8 BPG| .548 FG%| .681 FT% </font> I'm hoping the Magic stay away from Hakim because I'm kind of nervous about his size. After playing power forward at Syracuse, I think he will be to small for the NBA. It will be hard for him to make the switch over to SF because he hasn't had any experience with that position. With such a talent packed draft class, I would hate to see us blow our lottery pick on a tweener who may never adjust to the position we need him to play. I think there are safer picks and this would be a last resort if everyone else on our draft board is gone. He is a great player and can throw down some sick dunks in the paint but I feel the Magic have bigger needs and could make a better selection with the eleventh pick. NBA Comparison: Marcus Camby <u>Projected Depth Chart</u> PG- Jameer Nelson| Steve Francis| Andre Barrett SG- Steve Francis| Doug Christie| Hedo Turkoglu SF- Grant Hill| Hedo Turkoglu| Hakim Warrick PF- Hakim Warrick| Pat Garrity| Brandon Hunter C- Dwight Howard| Tony Battie| Kelvin Cato [IMGL]http://img252.echo.cx/img252/5144/hotgraham6lj.jpg[/IMGL] <font size="2">SF Joey Graham - Oklahoma State - 6'6" - 217 lbs. 17.7 PPG| 6.2 RPG| 2.0 APG| 2.7 TO| .9 SPG| .2 BPG| .529 FG%| .887 FT% </font> Joey Graham is a hometown player who grew up in Brandon, Florida. He also played power forward in college but he has shown that he can make the switch to SF in camps and workouts. He is average size for a SF and I don't have the same fears about Graham as I do Warrick. Joey Graham is a good scorer and is very physical. He has a nice touch on his shot and is an excellent free throw shooter. He is also extremely strong and can bench press over 400 lbs. I think he would be a nice fit for our team since Grant Hill is getting older and who knows how well Hill's knee will hold up two seasons in a row. Graham was the #1 overall player at the Chicago NBA Combine bench pressing 185 lbs. 26 times and had the 5th best vertical jump, 36". He seems like a great pick and I would love to have him on our team as a backup incase Hill gets hurt and for when Hill retires in the future. NBA Comparison: Caron Butler <u>Projected Depth Chart</u> PG- Jameer Nelson| Steve Francis| Doug Christie SG- Steve Francis| Doug Christie| Hedo Turkoglu SF- Grant Hill| Hedo Turkoglu| Joey Graham PF- Dwight Howard| Pat Garrity| Brandon Hunter C- Tony Battie| Kelvin Cato| Mario Kasun [IMGL]http://img185.echo.cx/img185/2460/30598181ev.jpg[/IMGL] <font size="2">SG Antoine Wright - Texas A&M - 6'7" - 205 lbs. 17.8 PPG| 6.0 RPG| 2.2 APG| 2.4 TO| 1.2 SPG| .7 BPG| .501 FG%| .691 FT% </font> Antoine Wright's stock has been sky rocketing since the end of the season because he has come to workouts in shape and has added definition to his body. He is a great player who can score and has good size for a shooting guard at 6'7". He would be a nice pick for the Magic because we don't have a real shooting guard. With this pick, Francis will be able to move back to his original position at point guard and Antoine Wright will start at SG. Jameer Nelson will come off the bench but in a few years having these two young guards in the backcourt could be a very nice combo for this team. I have heard very good things about Wright and if he drops to #11 I would like to see the Magic take him. NBA Comparison: Joe Johnson <u>Projected Depth Chart</u> PG- Steve Francis| Jameer Nelson| Doug Christie SG-Antoine Wright| Doug Christie| Hedo Turkoglu SF- Grant Hill| Hedo Turkoglu| Antoine Wright PF- Dwight Howard| Pat Garrity| Brandon Hunter C- Tony Battie| Kelvin Cato| Mario Kasun [IMGL]http://img59.echo.cx/img59/1746/webster4ok.jpg[/IMGL] <font size="2">SG Martell Webster - Seattle Prep HS - 6'7" - 235 lbs. 20.0 PPG| 12.0 RPG| 3.5 APG| 2.0 SPG| 3.0 BPG (From Junior year)</font> Martell Webster is a high schooler who would be a perfect fit for the Orlando Magic. He has a great shot is very consistent. Lately, scouts have been saying that he might be a better player then Gerald Green. This isn't good for the Magic if we want him to drop down to #11 for us to grab him. He seems to have a huge upside and I think he would be a great pick. This would be our second high schooler in two years that we spent our first round picks on and we would have a great future with Howard, Webster and Nelson. I really like Webster and I think that he is the best player the Magic can get and it will all come down to whether or not he is available when the Magic are on the clock. NBA Comparison: Glen Rice <u>Projected Depth Chart</u> PG- Steve Francis| Jameer Nelson| Doug Christie SG-Martell Webster| Doug Christie| Hedo Turkoglu SF- Grant Hill| Hedo Turkoglu| Martell Webster PF- Dwight Howard| Pat Garrity| Brandon Hunter C- Tony Battie| Kelvin Cato| Mario Kasun [IMGL]http://img131.echo.cx/img131/8406/cvavrarticle9go.jpg[/IMGL] <font size="2">PF Charlie Villanueva - Connecticut - 6'11" - 230 lbs. 13.6 PPG| 8.3 RPG| 1.3 APG| 2.3 TO| .6 SPG| 1.8 BPG| .521 FG%| .688 FT%</font> Charlie Villanueva would be a very good addition to the Magic playing down low next to Dwight Howard. At 6'11", Charlie Villanueva would be our power forward since Dwight Howard is moving to center next year. Having two young guys playing side by side will be great in a couple of years when both players have developed and are in their primes. I think picking Villanueva would be a great move because him and Howard are both good shot blockers and it will be hard for teams to get points in the paint. If Webster and Wright are gone, I think the Magic will go after Charlie Villanueva since he is a big man with talent to fill our need at power forward. NBA Comparison: Lamar Odom <u>Projected Depth Chart</u> PG- Jameer Nelson|Doug Christie| Andre Barret SG- Steve Francis| Doug Christie| Hedo Turkoglu SF- Grant Hill| Hedo Turkoglu| Stacey Augmon PF- Charlie Villanueva| Pat Garrity| Brandon Hunter C- Dwight Howard| Tony Battie| Kelvin Cato Our second picks depend on our first pick. If we take a power forward in round one, I expect us to take a shooting guard with one of our picks in round two. If we take a shooting guard, I think we will take a power forward so that we will have filled both gaps. This is a very interesting draft and is filled with talent so it should be interesting to see who the Magic will pick on draft day. They have so many options and I think that this draft can only help us improve for this year and for the future. Thanks to www.NBAdraft.net for the player comparisons.
Im hoping we do not take Villanueva he really never showed me anything great at Uconn that would make him a lottery pick in my opinion. He has size, and athletism, but not much else. He may be a good shot blocker, but that is mostly, because of his length he reminds me a little of Keon Clark. I don't want to sound like Im shunning this kid, I just have a bad feeling that it will be a mistake for the Magic to draft him. I hope I am wrong though just in case he is drafted. My favorite player of all the prospects you listed was Martell Webster. He and Howard could both become sort of like a Shaq/ Kobe combo as they develope together that is without the egos and arguements. I think one thing the Magic were missing last season after trading Mobley is two good clutch shooters come down to crunch time to keep the defense honest. Wtih Webster and Francis on the perimeter it will prevent double teams by other franchises when we are trying to get a big play late in games. Warrick like you said is a guy who may concern teams, because of his height. However, with the ability to play small forward his height would not really be a factor there. We will not try to start him at power forward if we do draft him so I do not see his height as a concern for the Magic. He also is a great athlete with a very good vertical leap. He can get the team some offensive rebounds if they deside to go with him come draft day. Graham would be another good choice with the pick. Considering his strength that you pointed out it would be a huge upside to have a small forward who could post up his opponent, and take it to the basket. However, I think if we draft him he will not get as many minutes as we would like, because Hill is our starter at least for the upcoming season then afterwards we got to see what he desides to do. Then there is also Hedo who early in the season last year was a top runner for sixth man of the year. Then fell out of the running as the Magic declined. I think if we took either Warrick or Joey a good move might be to then use Hedo as a trading piece. Wright would be a player we would take if we do not feel like waiting a few seasons for Webster to become a all star calieber player. In the long run I got a feeling Webster will be better however I do not think you could go wrong with either of these guys. Hopefully one of them will be round at the 11th pick for the Magic to select. Well I think we have a lot of good options at the 11th pick, and as previous drafts have proven a lot of times the 9-13 spot are where there are many hidden stars. In my opinion our best bet would be to take Webster with the 1st round pick if he is there. Then in the second round look at a big man like Dwayne Jones. If the Magic draft right I am hoping there rotation will look something like this... PG- Steve Francis- Jameer Nelson SG- Martell Webster- Deshawn Stevenson - Doug Christie SF- Grant Hill- Hedo - Deshawn Stevenson PF- Dwayne Jones- Dwight Howard - Pat Garriety (if he returns) C- Dwight Howard- Kelvin Cato - Tony Battie
I dont really like Villenueva either, I just think he will be a bust, I think the Magic should draft a 2-guard in the first round and a posr player in the second round and a swingman or another post player.
Here would be my perfect draft 11-SG Martell Webster 38-PF David Lee(I really hope he is available here, he will be a solid backup and maybe even a starter, I could see him as a valuable role player like Haslem and Bonner have been for Miami and Toronto) 44-PG-Get a backup just in case we do start Jameer at PG and Francis at SG. I haven't really followed PG's available in the draft, all I know is Roberson will be left, he would be a Troy Hudson type player-instant offense off the bench, he's got a great shot and has ice in his veins at the line.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GatorsowntheSEC:</div><div class="quote_post">Here would be my perfect draft 11-SG Martell Webster 38-PF David Lee(I really hope he is available here, he will be a solid backup and maybe even a starter, I could see him as a valuable role player like Haslem and Bonner have been for Miami and Toronto) 44-PG-Get a backup just in case we do start Jameer at PG and Francis at SG. I haven't really followed PG's available in the draft, all I know is Roberson will be left, he would be a Troy Hudson type player-instant offense off the bench, he's got a great shot and has ice in his veins at the line.</div> Daniel Ewing might be around for the 44th pick him or also Louis Williams a high school player who is 6'2" ranked really high in the country amoung high school guards. One problem I have with that draft is that if after that we do not start a Jameer and Francis back court someone is going to have to go either our 44 pick or Jameer, because Francis already plays big time minutes that even his backup does not get much time to try and split time between two other young guards off the bench would not work out.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GatorsowntheSEC:</div><div class="quote_post">Here would be my perfect draft 11-SG Martell Webster 38-PF David Lee(I really hope he is available here, he will be a solid backup and maybe even a starter, I could see him as a valuable role player like Haslem and Bonner have been for Miami and Toronto) 44-PG-Get a backup just in case we do start Jameer at PG and Francis at SG. I haven't really followed PG's available in the draft, all I know is Roberson will be left, he would be a Troy Hudson type player-instant offense off the bench, he's got a great shot and has ice in his veins at the line.</div> Yeah this would be the draft I would want also with the 44th pick being Nate Robinson or if Luther Head is on the board but I doubt it.
