NBA
Magic moment: Orlando wins lottery, lands No. 1 pick
Magic moment: Orlando wins lottery, lands No. 1 pick
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SportsWriters
The Orlando Magic won the NBA draft lottery on Tuesday night, grabbing the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since they got Dwight Howard in 2004.
It’s the fourth time lottery luck has happened for the Magic, which also won it in 1992 and 1993, taking Shaquille O’Neal in 1992, and trading the rights of No. 1 pick Chris Webber for Penny Hardaway in 1993.
Orlando faces a decision
Orlando finished this season with a 22-60 record in the Eastern Conference and missed the playoffs for the eighth time in a decade. But they won a huge prize in the lottery, where they had a 14-percent chance to land the top pick. With its No. 1 spot and a new training facility to be opened in a few weeks, the Magic have more work to do.
Orlando winning the Draft Lottery
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| 1992 | Orlando Magic | 21–61 (2nd-worst) | 10 (out of 66) | 15.15% | Shaquille O’Neal |
| 1993 | Orlando Magic (conveyed to Golden State on draft night) |
41–41 (11th-worst) | 1 (out of 66) | 1.52% | Chris Webber |
| 2004 | Orlando Magic | 21–61 (Worst) | 250 (out of 1000) | 25.00% | Dwight Howard |
| 2022 | Orlando Magic | 22–60 (2nd-worst) | 14.00% | ? |
“It feels great. I’m so happy for our fans. They really stayed with us. And nights like this help, where you can really show the fruits of why you’re going through these stages and these cycles. And we hope they’re really excited about this.”
- Jeff Weltman, basketball operations president, Magic
The draft is in New York on June 23rd.
Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey, and Auburn’s Jabari Smith are viewed as the most likely candidates to go first.
Preliminary Top 4 Mock Draft
| 1-2 | Team | Player | Details | Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic | Jabari Smith Jr. | PF – Auburn – HT: 6-10 – WT: 220 – WING: 7-0 – Fr – With the first pick, the Magic will have to choose between Jabari and Chet. The young Magic core would be a great match for Jabari. | Rashard Lewis |
| 2 | Thunder | Chet Holmgren | C – Gonzaga – HT: 7-0 – WT: 195 – WING: 7-6 – Fr – With lots of upside, length, and a spot in the Thunder’s frontcourt, Chet is a good fit for the Thunder | Dirk |
| 3 | Rockets | Paolo Banchero | PF – Duke – HT: 6-10 – WT: 250 – WING: 6-10 – Fr – The Rockets might be disappointed, but Paolo would be a good fit next to Sengun in the starting lineup. | Chris Webber |
| 4 | Kings | Jaden Ivey | SG – Purdue – HT: 6-4 – WT: 200 – WING: NA – Fr – The Kings rise up to no.4 and have a chance to land one of the elite talents in his class. Ivey has big time skills. | Ja Morant |
Smith Was Auburn's Top 3-point Shooter
8As one of Auburn’s top recruits, Jabari Smith lived up to his reputation. The Tigers spent three weeks at No. 1 for the first time in team history. The 6-10, 220-pounder from Fayetteville, Georgia, was a second-team, All-American and SEC Freshman of the Year. In addition to scoring 16.9 points per game, he grabbed 7.4 rebounds. Smith made 79 of 188 3-point attempts (43%) to finish second in the SEC.
Jabari Smith Jr. is cheat code. pic.twitter.com/E7UBYR4aGv
— Jay Phillips 🦚 (@aubawn) November 13, 2021
Holmgren Is A Multi-Talented Big
Chet Holmgren, a 7-footer who can pass and handle the ball like a guard, was one of Gonzaga’s most highly anticipated recruits in history. As a freshman, he was named the West Coast Conference’s Newcomer of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and a first-team All-Conference selection. In addition to his 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks per game, he was an AP All-American.
Jalen Suggs and Chet Holmgren were teammates at Minnehaha Academy, a private high school in Minnesota.
The two missed each other by one season at Gonzaga.
Will they be reunited in Orlando? pic.twitter.com/aNljdnXEtl
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) May 18, 2022
With Banchero, Coach K Produces Another Big One!
When Paolo Banchero arrived at Duke from Seattle as part of a talented recruiting class, he was viewed as a likely one-and-done player. He helped Duke reach now-retired coach Mike Krzyzewski’s 13th Final Four before losing to archrival North Carolina. Using his strengh and perimeter skills, Banchero averaged 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds. In 39 games, he scored 20 or more 15 times, while failing to reach double figures only twice.
Ivey Is Hands Down Most Athletic In The Draft
Jayden Ivey, a 6-4, 200-pound guard is a remarkable athlete, an alpha dog, and a promising on-ball defender. He has shown elite potential in many aspects of the game. With his offensive game, he has shown he can create space for himself, score on multiple levels, and attack the rim at an elite level.
Ivey Took A Giant Leap His Sophomore Year
| Season | School | FG% | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-21 | Purdue | .399 | .258 | .726 | 3.3 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 11.1 |
| 2021-22 | Purdue | .460 | .358 | .744 | 4.9 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 17.3 |
| Career | Purdue | .440 | .322 | .739 | 4.3 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 14.9 |
Social comments
Thunder land 2nd pick; Rockets will have 3rd choice; Kings to select at no. 4