Orlando Magic: Luke Kennard intrigues in 2017 NBA Draft

Although the Orlando Magic have the sixth pick in the upcoming draft, it’s their later selections that could bring them the most joy.

Although the Orlando Magic should be excited about which player they will take in the lottery, they also have the 25th pick in the first round as well.

While their earlier pick will surely get the most fanfare, there is reason for optimism that they can make something happen with those later selections too (they also have the 33rd and 35th picks).

With this being such a deep and talked about draft class, some players are going to slip down the pecking order, it happens every year. The 2017 Draft will be no different, and if shooting guard Luke Kennard is still available when the Magic are up, they should take him without hesitation.

There are plenty of reasons to think this way, and it starts with new general manager John Hammond.

Hammond was at the helm of the Milwaukee Bucks when they unearthed some guy named Giannis Antetokounmpo, who turned out to be pretty good.

So the Magic should have more confidence that whoever they do take later in the draft could actually contribute to this team.

Since 2010, the Magic have drafted 14 players. Seven of those have been first-rounders, with Aaron Gordon being the best and Daniel Orton being the worst.

Andrew Nicholson has improved since leaving the team, while Dario Saric and Domantas Sabonis never suited up for them. The other two (Victor Oladipo and Mario Hezonja) are either gone or else the jury is still out on their abilities.

With a track record like that, the only way is up for Hammond, and no matter what players the team takes later in the draft, the hope is that they can provide more than in previous years.

If Kennard is available however, there’s simply too much not to like about using a late first round selection on him.

The comparisons to J.J. Reddick are easy to make, and despite having a bumpy start to life in Orlando, he turned into a great professional.

Kennard is just as potent shooting the ball, as he hit 43.8 percent of his long range efforts last season with Duke. The Magic need shooting desperately, having been the second-worst team in the league at three-point shooting last season (32.8 percent).

Kennard is able to put up difficult shots and see them go in, and with the Magic not going to have many other long range threats to throw at opponents, that would be important.

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He also shot 85 percent from the free throw line, with the Magic having shot 74.7 percent last season (the 25th-best mark in the league).

Interestingly, despite being known as a shooter, Kennard got to the line 5.1 times per game. Elfrid Payton would be the primary driver to the basket, but that is something worth keeping an eye on.

While he would provide a real spark offensively, on the defensive end it would be a different story.

Despite standing 6’5″, Kennard doesn’t have an ideal body type to defend longer guards. Certainly he would need to be hidden on that end.

But playing next to an above-average defender in Payton, that’s exactly what this team could do.

Having a head coach like Frank Vogel constantly on his case may also help him at least be competitive on that end, even if he doesn’t always make a difference.

His best-case scenario defensively would be to become a Matthew Dellavedova type, always working hard to make it difficult for opponents to score.

Of course that may not happen, which brings us to the real red flag regarding Kennard and how he will pan out as a professional.

The comparisons to Jimmer Fredette aren’t scarily accurate, but they do exist. They boast similar skill-sets, with Kennard being the taller of the two by three inches as well.

Fredette could have had a longer NBA career, but it’s hard when you’re not a good defender who is undersized for his position. He could shoot the lights out, and Kennard can too, but if the Magic did select him, there would be a worry his career could go the same way.

The main reason it would not, however, is what selecting Kennard (or any high volume scoring guard really) would allow the Magic to do elsewhere in the draft.

Jonathan Isaac is a player that is seeing his stock constantly rise, to the point that many mock drafts have him going to the Magic. A long forward who can guard the smaller players on the court as well, he would fit perfectly next to Kennard and Payton.

Both of those could guard the elite scorers on an opponent’s team, while Kennard knocked down shots and competed defensively.

It’s not the most ideal scenario, but the team needs scoring, and Kennard can do it in ways that most other college players in the country cannot.

He would also represent real value being selected 25th on the night. This isn’t just fantasy talk either, as mock drafts have him going anywhere from 12th to 30th.

With the Isaac talk heating up and Terrence Ross being a player who could become a prime trade candidate down the road, why not take the risk and draft Luke Kennard if he’s available?

Certainly the Orlando Magic have done worse during their time as lottery regulars, and it would also give this roster a kind of cohesion it has lacked since 2012.

Next: 2017 NBA Mock Draft: Final edition

Teams strike oil every year with later picks, and the combination of John Hammond and taking Luke Kennard would go a long way to ensuring that would be the case for Orlando.