Orlando Magic: 2018 NBA Draft grades

No. 35: Melvin Frazier, Tulane

In the second round, the Magic got hit with an incredible string of bad luck as far as who was picked before Frazier. From picks 31-34, four straight solid point guards were drafted, including National Player of the Year (and the guy I thought would be the best fit) Jalen Brunson, Kansas point guard Devonte’ Graham, French guard Elie Okobo and West Virginia point guard Jevon Carter.

Still needing a point guard, this had to be a little bit of a blow to the Magic, who now missed out twice on point guards. That being said, with the 35th pick, the Magic landed a slept-on player in Melvin Frazier, a 6’6″ combo guard from Tulane.

Coming out after his junior season, Frazier averaged 15.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field. He was Second Team All-AAC and also won the AAC Most Improved Player of the Year award.

Projected as a prototypical 3-and-D type moving forward, his defense is what will keep him in the league. He brings a lot of energy on that end and with a 7’1″ wingspan, can guard 2-4 with regularity. He shows a high motor on this end and has the ability to be a lockdown perimeter defender.

His lateral quickness and lightning-quick hands give him the ability to jump passing lanes well and pick pockets. He averaged 2.1 steals a game his junior year, good for third in the conference. He also shows a good defensive IQ, not really taking too many risks on that end and knowing switches and coverages.

My concerns with Frazier reside on the offensive end. The pros are his athleticism and ability to get to the rack. He can absolutely fly and showed this multiple times this year with jaw-dropping dunks and finishes. He is comfortable in the lane, can finish well among the bigs and can also get to the line well as a 2 or 3, attempting 118 free throws last year.

His shooting and ball-handling, however, seems to be why Frazier dropped to the second round. Despite shooting above 55 percent last year, most of this came from the interior. He shot 38 percent from 3 but that only came on 91 attempts. For a 2 or 3, thats a low number.

On his shot, it seems as though his long wingspan gets in the way of his shot and it looks a little awkward. If he is going to be a 3-and-D type moving forward, his shot mechanics need some work. He also tends to dribble pretty high and out of control sometimes. These are definitely some facets of his game that will need to be improved moving forward if Frazier wants to contribute.

Overall, I am pro-Frazier although his lack of a consistent jump shot and handle will need to be improved. For a Magic team that ranked 25th in offensive rating last season, this pick didn’t help, nor did it hurt.

Maybe Frazier can improve that shot and be a slasher type who doesn’t need the ball in his hands too much to score, but it’s tough to project. To have the multitude of point guards potentially available and for them not to be there is tough, but Frazier could be a good fit down the line at 35.

Grade: C+