Orlando Magic: 5 options for pick No. 16 in 2019 NBA Draft

SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #4 of the Virginia Tech Hokies reacts to a play against the Saint Louis Billikens during their game in the First Round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament at SAP Center on March 22, 2019 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

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4. Talen Horton-Tucker

Talen Horton-Tucker isn’t built like most basketball players. Standing at 6’4″, he weighs in at 224 pounds, making for one of the thickest guards the league has seen in a long time.

Despite this unique build, he actually does have the skills of a prototypical guard. Horton-Tucker uses a variety of advanced moves to create space and get buckets, and sometimes looked like Iowa State’s best player.

Other times, though, he looked like one of the worst. Not that Iowa State’s system was exactly tailored to him, but Horton-Tucker had poor shot selection, often taking shots early in the clock when a better shot was waiting.

Simply put, he’s not the best decision-maker right now. But the draft shouldn’t be about “right” now to the Magic anyway. THT has legitimate upside to be a good two-way guard one day, and with proper coaching, that day could come sooner than expected.

Clifford might lose sleep early on, but putting the ball in Horton-Tucker’s hands is probably the best way to develop him. Letting him meander in an off-ball role will teach him nothing, and allow him to propagate stupid shots.

A defensive quintet of THT, Iwundu, Gordon, Isaac and Bamba has serious potential to stifle teams down the line. It’s just a matter of how patient the Magic are willing to be.

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