Orlando Magic

One question has been answered now that the NBA Draft Lottery has passed. The Magic will have the second selection in the NBA Draft. That means one player is off the board. It does not change much of Orlando's preparations. Just about every player on their Draft board is still going to be around. Unless the Magic plan on honing in on one player and hope that the Cavaliers do not draft him, nothing has changed. That kind of honing does not seem in Rob Hennigan's persona. Orlando's reported interest in Ben McLemore or Trey Burke or Victor Oladipo or any other player in the Draft they might be targeting. Prospects will begin making their way into Orlando for workouts and interviews as the Magic complete their scouting and Draft preparations. The Magic should be weighing all options with the pick. And there are plenty of options. Here is a brief review of where the Magic should go: Keep the Pick and Draft Best Player Available This is the position that I strongly advocate for the Magic right now. Orlando is not quite in a position to build a team that is capable of winning now. Right now, the Magic appear still to be in collecting assets that they can use in building the team of the future. That could mean a whole lot of different things. Ultimately it means judging what you think of Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris and Maurice Harkless, as well as veterans like Jameer Nelson, Glen Davis and Arron Afflalo, as future building blocks for this team. There is no slam-dunk superstar prospect in this Draft. Even if the Magic had the top pick in the Draft, there would be this debate about what kind of player the Magic should go after. Would drafting a player like Nerlens Noel (injured though he may be) and adding him to an already deep group of forwards be the right move for Vucevic's development? Would drafting a player like Otto Porter hold back Harkless or Harris' development? These are legitimate questions. They should be within Orlando's considerations as Rob Hennigan and his staff sit down to make decisions and review their notes on these guys taken from this past season, the Draft Combine and the workouts and interviews ahead. Who is the best player available in the Draft? It feels that Ben McLemore and Nerlens Noel have separated themselves from the rest of the class as the candidates fo the top pick. I have McLemore as my best player in this year's Draft, but an argument certainly could be made for Noel. If Noel is available at No. 2 and the Magic believe he is the best player in the Draft, they should pick him. The magic should be thinking about collecting the most talent and figuring out what to do with it as the team develops and grows. Options are still most important for Orlando. Keep the Pick and Draft for Need The great part about where the Magic are is that often drafting the best player will satisfy a need on the roster. If the Magic draft Ben McLemore, it is only looking to fill a shooting guard need for the future when Arron Afflalo is likely moved on. He does not figure (at least at this point) to be part of the Magic's final rebuild. However, most Magic fans have singled out point guard as the team's biggest need. Whether that is faith in Jameer Nelson or seeing that his contract will expire very quickly, leaving the Magic without a point guard or a backup point guard, this need has become somewhat alarming. Trey Burke is the top point guard in this Draft and several Mock Drafts have Orlando bypassing McLemore to take Burke. It is a very real possibility that this is where the Magic want to go. There were reports earlier that the Magic had their eyes on Marcus Smart before he decided to stay in school another year. When looking at the current young foundations for the Magic roster, the team seems set at the front court positions and could use the guard help. If Orlando is drafting for need, it likely does not want a center

With the NBA Draft order set as of Tuesday night, the rumor mill will certainly grind along until the Cleveland Cavaliers make the first pick on June 27th. One rumor regarding the Orlando Magic surfaced Wednesday from Pro Basketball Draft, which reported that the Magic's decision with the second overall pick will likely come down to Kansas Jayhawks shooting guard Ben McLemore and Michigan Wolverines point guard Trey Burke. More NBA Draft coverage: Orlando Pinstriped Post SB Nation "Both players can help" as Orlando rebuilds, according to the tweet. "Workout [and] interviews are key." Magic general manager Rob Hennigan said in February that he wants to add players "who are about the right things" in order to create a "sustainable" team, so certainly the interviews with McLemore and Burke will figure heavily into his decision as Draft night approaches. Draft prospect profiles at OPP: Trey Burke Ben McLemore Nerlens Noel Victor Oladipo Otto Porter Shabazz Muhammad Other point guards Most experts consider McLemore to be the second-best prospect in the Draft, behind Kentucky Wildcats center Nerlens Noel. The St. Louis, Missouri native has drawn comparisons to Ray Allen due to his combination of athleticism and shooting range. McLemore shot 42 percent from three-point range on 4.7 attempts per game en route to averaging 15.9 points in his lone season with the Jayhawks. Experts haven't compared Burke to anyone as great as Allen, but he did win the Wooden Award for the NCAA's top point guard in 2013. In his two seasons at Michigan, Burke averaged 16.9 points and 5.7 assists per game, shooting 45 percent from the floor and 36.7 percent on threes. Looking for Orlando Magic tickets? Orlando Pinstriped Post has you covered. We invite you to follow Orlando Pinstriped Post on Twitter and like Orlando Pinstriped Post on Facebook.

Jameer Nelson, y su compañero de equipo Tobias Harris, el Embajador en la Comunidad Bo Outlaw y 20 empleados del Orlando Magic formaron parte en un día de trabajo para Habitat for Humanity de Orlando.

En un esfuerzo para ayudar en el proceso de reconstrucción y recuperación de las personas afectadas por los recientes tornados en Oklahoma, el Orlando Magic ha donado $25 mil a la Cruz Roja.

The Orlando Magic narrowly missed out on winning their fourth NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday night, but still snagged the second pick in the June 27th NBA Draft.

Magic can't pass up Ben McLemore of Kansas with No. 2 pick: He's budding superstar, the next Ray Allen, says Sports Illustrated NBA insider

In an effort to assist in the rebuilding and recovery process of those affected by the recent Oklahoma tornadoes, the Orlando Magic has donated $25K to the Red Cross.

The last time the Magic were in the Draft lottery was in 2006 where they selected J.J. Redick with the 11th pick. I personally can't remember the last time I actually watched the NBA Draft lottery. I can say though I was excited watching it unfurl as the draft positions were being announced. Now that there is no question as to where everyone will draft. There seems to be some disappointment from a few fans that the Magic did not get the 1st overall pick. While there may be more trade value with having that pick, I still think the 2nd pick holds about the same value depending on if McLemore or Noel is on the board when the Magic pick. I also think it's a potential blessing that the Magic pick 2nd especially if Noel is off the board when they pick. I've seen Chad Ford's latest mock draft which has the Magic picking Trey Burke with the 2nd pick. I also know he noted that McLemore would also be a possible candidate for the Magic to draft. With that in mind here lies my questions: Is Trey Burke worth drafting as a #2 pick? or Is McLemore the guy to draft? Or Do you think the Magic will trade down and hope Burke is still available or target Oladipo, or McCollum. What do you think or hope the Magic do? The last time the Magic were in the Draft lottery was in 2006 where they selected J.J. Redick with the 11th pick. I personally can't remember the last time I actually watched the NBA Draft lottery. I can say though I was excited watching it unfurl as the draft positions were being announced. Now that there is no question as to where everyone will draft. There seems to be some disappointment from a few fans that the Magic did not get the 1st overall pick. While there may be more trade value with having that pick, I still think the 2nd pick holds about the same value depending on if McLemore or Noel is on the board when the Magic pick. I also think it's a potential blessing that the Magic pick 2nd especially if Noel is off the board when they pick. I've seen Chad Ford's latest mock draft which has the Magic picking Trey Burke with the 2nd pick. I also know he noted that McLemore would also be a possible candidate for the Magic to draft. With that in mind here lies my questions: Is Trey Burke worth drafting as a #2 pick? or Is McLemore the guy to draft? Or Do you think the Magic will trade down and hope Burke is still available or target Oladipo, or McCollum. What do you think or hope the Magic do? Poll What do you think the Magic will do with the 2nd pick? Draft Trey Burke Draft Ben McLemore Trade down for Oladipo, McCollum or possibly Burke if available 3 votes | Results

Tyler Lashbrook takes a look at some point guard prospects who may be available when the Orlando Magic select in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft. As a result of Tuesday's lottery, Orlando will have the second overall pick in the first round. - Ed. More Draft prospect profiles at OPP: Trey Burke Ben McLemore Nerlens Noel Victor Oladipo Otto Porter Shabazz Muhammad C.J. McCollum McCollum has become an interesting prospect for the Magic. He's already interviewed with Orlando and it's pretty obvious that interest is there from fans here at OPP. He's drawn comparisons to NBA Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard, and their numbers from college highlight those comparisons: McCollum: Season R = Conference regular season championT = Conference tournament championF = Final Four appearanceN = NCAA Tournament champion" style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;">School G MP PER TS% eFG% ORB% DRB% TRB% AST% STL% BLK% TOV% USG% 2009-10 Lehigh 33 1052 25.8 .593 .541 5.1 12.3 8.8 17.1 2.3 0.7 11.0 28.4 2010-11 Lehigh 31 1073 26.8 .523 .447 6.1 18.7 12.4 15.7 4.0 2.0 12.0 33.4 2011-12 Lehigh 35 1160 32.4 .556 .496 5.0 17.6 11.3 25.4 4.6 1.7 10.5 33.6 2012-13 Lehigh 12 372 34.7 .628 .580 4.0 14.3 9.4 24.9 2.7 1.2 12.3 37.2 Career Lehigh 111 3657 29.1 .563 .501 5.2 16.1 10.7 20.1 3.6 1.5 11.3 32.4 Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CBB: View Original Table Lillard: Season R = Conference regular season championT = Conference tournament championF = Final Four appearanceN = NCAA Tournament champion" class="tooltip sort_default_asc" align="left" data-stat="school_name">School G MP PER TS% eFG% ORB% DRB% TRB% AST% STL% BLK% TOV% USG% 2008-09 Weber St. 31 .569 .524 18.3 2009-10 Weber St. 31 1062 24.8 .594 .529 1.2 12.8 6.9 23.3 1.9 0.4 12.5 28.0 2010-11 Weber St. 10 285 28.1 .609 .522 2.7 13.2 8.1 27.3 3.0 0.8 16.2 32.5 2011-12 Weber St. 32 1105 34.0 .635 .562 1.9 14.8 8.7 27.1 2.5 0.7 10.7 33.0 Career Weber St. 104 2452 29.3 .606 .540 1.7 13.7 7.8 25.5 2.3 0.6 13.4 30.8 Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CBB: View Original Table Their numbers are similar and so are the questions each face as they transition from small colleges to the NBA. Lillard never played in an NCAA tournament game and many wondered whether or not he'd be able to play against the competition in professional basketball. They also speculated whether a guy who looked to mostly score could take over the point guard position. McCollum's critics are asking the same thing, though McCollum had the benefit of performing on the NCAA tournament stage. McCollum is the most complete scorer in the draft. He's a deadly shooter with deep range: as a senior, before injuring his left foot, he was shooting 51.6 percent from three-point range on 5.3 attempts a game. With the ball in his hands, McCollum can break down defenders and get to the basket or pull up in a defender's face. His step-back jumper is deadly and he's extremely comfortable shooting around high ball screens. He understands the pace of the game and he's explosive enough to quickly change that pace with the ball in hands. Off the ball, McCollum is money. He's patient when coming off screens and understands the spacing and how to utilize screens to evade defenders to get his shot off. Questions about his game linger, specifically regarding whether he has the instincts to become a point guard at the NBA level. He was great scoring off the pick-and-roll but he didn't really seem to utilize it for his teammates. He would often settle for a tough shot rather than swinging the ball for open shots, which seems to explain his 2.9 assists per game. Bu

There's discussion at the moment regarding Trey Burke. Burke is not a good player to draft because he's only six feet tall, he'll be inferior when playing against larger point guards, he has a large wingspan, height doesn't matter at the PG position, etc etc etc. While a height disadvantage does seem like a problem at the professional level, is it really an issue when it comes to the traditionally smallest position on the court? I figured I would look up some statistics from this past season and see if there was a clear difference between point guards 6'1" and shorter, and point guards 6'2" and taller__________________________________________________________________________________________There are many ways to go about determining rank through statistics, so the best course of action, in my opinion, is to pull several different advanced stats to see if there's any clear difference between the two height factions. For this post, I'll only be pulling data from two stats - PER, and win shares. We'll start with PER, which is currently the trendiest of advanced statistics. You can read up on how PER is calculated here. A descending list of guards from best PER to worst can be found here, which is what I used for my PG data Of all the point guards who finished with a PER of 15.0 or greater,*14 players were 6'1" or shorter*19 players were 6'2" or tallerIt should be noted that of the top eight PGs with the highest PER (Walker, Calderon, D. Williams, Wall, Curry, Irving, Parker, Westbrook, and Paul), only Chris Paul is below 6'2". However, he is the PG with the highest PER this season__________________________________________________________________________________________PER primarily factors in offensive statistics and does not heavily feature defensive ability. This time we will look at point guards and win shares. You can read up on how win shares are calculated here. To be perfectly honest, at this moment I find win shares to be the 'truest' worth a player is to their team. A descending list of guards from highest win shares to lowest can be found here, which is what I used for my PG data Of all the point guards who finished with 5.0 or more win shares,*8 players were 6'1" or shorter*15 players were 6'2" or tallerThis time, of the top eight PGs with the most win shares (Calderon, Parker, Hill, Conley, D. Williams, Curry, Westbrook, Paul), Mike Conley and Chris Paul were the only ones below 6'2", but again, Paul had the most amount of win shares among all point guards__________________________________________________________________________________________So what do all these statistics mean? Well, to be perfectly honest, I think it will provide different answers for different people, reinforce conclusions that had already been drawn, or may make things even more confusing. On top of that, there are several other ways to measure talent between tall point guards and short point guards that I haven't covered in this post, so this is by no means a complete analysis. Personally, what I gathered from this information is that taller point guards do indeed hold an advantage over shorter point guards when it comes to defense (as evidenced by the larger difference in win shares), but when it comes to offense, both sizes are more or less indistinguishableWhat conclusions can you draw from this small sample size? There's discussion at the moment regarding Trey Burke. Burke is not a good player to draft because he's only six feet tall, he'll be inferior when playing against larger point guards, he has a large wingspan, height doesn't matter at the PG position, etc etc etc. While a height disadvantage does seem like a problem at the professional level, is it really an issue when it comes to the traditionally smallest position on the court? I figured I would look up some statistics from this past season and see if there was a clear difference between point guards 6'1" and shorter, and point guards 6'2" and taller______________________________