The 2017 NBA Draft Lottery was uneventful for the Orlando Magic. Their likeliest outcome, landing the sixth overall pick, is what came to fruition.
Coming into tonight, Central Florida was abuzz with the possibility of the Orlando Magic acquiring a top-three pick. The odds stated they had a 29.2 percent chance of striking gold in the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be.
Instead, for Orlando, the lottery went in the opposite direction. Despite owning the league’s fifth worst record after 2016-17, they actually got stuck with the sixth overall pick once the ping pong balls settled.
But still, things could always be worse. And it’s not as if the No. 6 pick is anything to scoff at. Plus, in a year as potentially loaded as this draft class appears to be? The Magic should be able to add a year-one difference-maker with their selection.
Now, it’s up to acting general manager Matt Lloyd, or whoever upper brass ends up hiring to fill the spot permanently, to make the right choice.
Presently, Draft Express (who updated their mock-up after the lottery results went public) has Orlando taking Kentucky’s explosive 2-guard Malik Monk sixth overall.
What would he provide? Shooting. A lot of it. For a Magic team that finished 2016-17 with the second worst three-point accuracy in the league at a paltry 32.8 percent, he would fill an immediate need.
Orlando Magic
Over the first 25 games of his freshman campaign, Monk was successful on 41.4 percent of his looks from beyond the arc. He wasn’t exactly shy about getting shots up, either. His ability to knock them down at an extremely efficient clip came even despite hoisting up 7.6 attempts from deep per game.
In his final 13 appearances for Kentucky, he did hit a bit of a wall, converting “just” 35.2 percent of his threes. But just about every freshman, no matter how talented, tends to hit that proverbial wall midway through their first season. He’s still one of the two best shooters in his draft class, along with Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen.
Actually, if Orlando were to look elsewhere at No. 6, the Finnish big man out of Arizona could be another great option. He’s a bit like Monk in that he can provide Orlando with much-needed floor spacing.
However, if we take into account the Magic’s propensity for drafting athletic guys who can’t shoot at all, we shouldn’t discount point guards De’Aaron Fox or Dennis Smith as possible alternatives. The two are supremely talented, and could push incumbent lead guard Elfrid Payton heading into his very important fourth year.
Next: 2017 NBA Draft Lottery Results and First Rounder order
In all honesty, it’s hard to speculate on who any team will draft; but it’s harder when that team doesn’t even have a general manager in place yet. God speed, Magic fans. And good luck.