Orlando Magic

May 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Trey Burke is interviewed during the NBA Draft combine at Harrison Street Athletics Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports The Orlando Magic are at a crossroads as they approach the 2013 NBA Draft.  They’re likely to land a top-three pick, but the player who best fits their needs is Trey Burke of Michigan. Burke has done nothing but increase his stock since the midway point of the 2012-13 NCAA season, but the 6’0″ floor general is still not expected to go until the 7th overall pick according to NBADraft.net. The Magic’s oldest starter is 31-year-old Jameer Nelson, and ideally Rob Hennigan would like to grab Burke for Nelson to mentor. Their games are similar, but Burke’s high upside should be the peak Nelson was never able to prolong. If the Magic aren’t able to work a suitable deal to move down, an entirely different direction could be taken. Nerlens Noel was originally slotted by Chad Ford, NBADraft.net and Draft Express as a No. 1 overall pick prior to his horrible ACL injury. The thing is, we’ve now seen guys come back from this, and though Noel’s injury was particularly gruesome, he was the only one in this draft with perennial All-Star type talent. He showed far more skill offensively than most expected he would, particularly in passing the ball out of double teams and moving without the ball. Noel is still very raw, but with some hard work and instruction he could be the best player in the draft. There is more, though: Noel further enhances the Magic’s chances of tanking for another high pick in the much more lucrative 2014 crop of rookies. Whether the Magic trade down for Burke, select Ben McLemore for another team and trade him, or take Noel with a Jan 15, 2013; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Nerlens Noel (3) passes the ball against Tennessee Volunteers forward Jarnell Stokes (5) in the first half at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Tennessee 75-65. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports high selection — It won’t make or break this rebuilding process. Hennigan already landed his major chip when he acquired Tobias Harris, and Nikola Vucevic and Moe Harkless are looking like great acquisitions from the Dwight Howard deal. The trio could be the Magic’s frontcourt of the future, but Noel is an intriguing prospect who could potentially play both the 4 and the 5. Burke could be the guy that Hennigan sees leading his team into the next era. While Burke and Noel may be entirely different players, it seems Hennigan will be wisest to consider the best two talents in the class. Marcus Smart had been the Magic’s coveted one, but he didn’t enter the draft, which makes the Burke scenario a pretty attractive one for Hennigan.

May 16, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Nerlens Noel is interviewed during the NBA Draft combine at Harrison Street Athletics Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports Nerlens Noel was projected to go first overall by Chad Ford, NBADraft.net and Draft Express prior to a gruesome ACL injury that saw the 6’11″ big man writhe in the floor, his career in the air. But is it in the air? Noel’s injury twisted the faces and stomaches of his teammates into knots, but players have recovered from ACL injuries more so in recent years than even five to seven years ago. DeJuan Blair plays with no ACLs; Baron Davis tore both—and both players continued to play at a high level. If Noel can fully recover, he should be able to cash in on that immense potential. When we had Alex Kennedy of HOOPSWORLD on the Dig N Shot podcast, Alex felt Noel’s talent alone should still render him the No. 1 overall pick. With the draft just about a month away, Noel is still projected to go No. 2 overall by NBADraft.net, and only Ben McLemore of Kansas is given higher prospects. So what is it that is causing teams to consider a guy who had what could have just been a career ending injury?

The Orlando Magic are among several teams to show an interest in Virtus Roma forward Gani Lawal, reports Shams Charania of RealGM. Lawal, 24, appeared in one game for the Phoenix Suns in the 2010/11 season but has since starred in Europe, where he's averaging 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocked shots for Virtus Roma in the Italian league Lega Basket Serie A. Lawal, listed at 6-foot-9, averaged 11.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in his three-year career at Georgia Tech. The Suns selected him with the 46th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. He has also played summer-league games with the San Antonio Spurs and Denver Nuggets. Charania lists Orlando, the Indiana Pacers, and the Toronto Raptors as the teams that've scheduled a workout with Lawal. "Four to five other teams" could also bring the College Park, Georgia native in for a free-agent audition. 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.

Orlando Magic fans approach Pat Williams whenever they see him around town these days.

The NBA Draft Combine wrapped up in Chicago on Friday, and Rob Hennigan told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that the two day event was "very productive." Many of the top prospects did not participate in the Drills portion, but that is not the point of the event for many general managers. For many of those players, the teams have done their research and their scouting. They know what these players will do and what they need to improve on. The next four-plus weeks are about learning who these players are as people and figuring out how they fit into the team's future plans. That is why the interview process is often the most important part of the two-day event. Teams are allowed to interview up to 18 players for no more than 30 minutes during the two days. More interviews and individual workouts will follow leading up to the NBA Draft on June 28. Hennigan told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: It's been very productive. We got a chance to talk to a lot of guys who we've been following throughout the year, and anytime you get a chance to spend half an hour with them, you glean some valuable things. The way the rules are set up, you're observing these players from a distance for such a long period of time. Then, you actually have a chance to have an interpersonal exchange. So that just adds another layer of information that you put into the cauldron, and you stir it around and then it will help you to try to make a decision. The Magic interviewed several draft prospects during the two-day event. That included the favorites for the top pick such as Ben McLemore and Nerlens Noel. Otto Porter also interviewed with the Magic. Trey Burke did not, but he is expected to be in Orlando for a workout in the very near future. McLemore told Josh Robbins that he came away impressed with the Magic's energy. It certainly helped having Kansas alum Jacque Vaughn in the room. Among the 18 players the Magic interviewed during the past two days (as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports) were players that surely will not be available at No. 51 (the Magic's second round pick) and no team is considering for the top of the Draft. That would include point guards such as Lehigh's C.J. McCollum and Texas' Myck Kabongo. It also includes centers Kelly Olynyk of Gonzaga and Steven Adams of Pittsburgh and forward Andre Roberson of Colorado. Again, the Magic will not draft all these players. But, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel notes, these interviews can go a long way in helping the team prep for trades. Robbins notes that Hennigan interviewed Tobias Harris while he was with the Oklahoma City Thunder. While the Thunder did not draft Harris, that information came in handy when with the Magic he traded for the second-year forward from Tennessee. The homework is continuing though. Orlando will be eagerly awaiting the results from the Draft Lottery on Tuesday before continuing preparations for the NBA Draft.

At least several general managers who attended the NBA Draft Combine on Thursday and Friday hope league officials will do away with the event’s on-court drill work and instead use the time to give teams more interviews with prospects.

CHICAGO — For the Orlando Magic, the most valuable part of the 2013 NBA Draft Combine occurred far away from the basketball court.

CHICAGO — There's nothing like a juicy rumor to spice up the early stages of an offseason.

Apr 5, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls small forward Luol Deng (9) dribbles against the Orlando Magic during the second half at the United Center. The Bulls beat the Magic 87-86. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports At a position with the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, & Carmelo Anthony, it can become easy to be unappreciative of what Luol Deng brings to the table. The aforementioned small forwards are among the elite players in the NBA, but enough about them. In regards to Deng, I’ve heard it all. He’s not explosive. He doesn’t handle well. He can’t post up. You can’t isolate him. He’s overpaid. He should be traded. So many times we as fans tend to focus on what a player can’t do that it is often ignored what certain players bring to the table. This current core of the Chicago Bulls consist of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah & Luol Deng. Rose is without question the teams best player. Noah is the emotional leader. So where does that leave Deng? Deng is the glue that holds this team together. The kind of player that isn’t an explosive talent or visibly enthusiastic, but you still need his services for a deep title run. In the 2013 season Deng was named to his second All-Star team by the coaches, which is an indication that coaches around the league appreciate what Deng brings to the table even when some fans fail to. Deng often hovers around what his stat line was in the 2013 season. 16.5ppg, 6.3rpg, 3apg and a career high at the charity stripe at 81.6%. Acknowledged as one of the best defenders in the NBA, Deng covers and guards players ranging from shooting guard to power forward effectively. This makes Deng one of the rare two way players in basketball. However, the most telling stat of Deng is what he has led the NBA for two straight season. Minutes per game. Despite the increased responsibility on offense while maintaining his defensive intensity, Deng still led the NBA in minutes per game at 38.7. He does this often having nagging injuries that he plays through. To keep that kind of intensity for that many minutes in an NBA season shows true toughness. Despite Deng being in the NBA for what will be his 10th season in the up coming 2013-2014 season, Deng is still just 28 years old. He’ll be in the final year of his contract next summer & it remains to be seen what will happen. A lot of it may depend on what happens at the end of next season. You hear some wondering if the Bulls should trade Deng due to the emergence of swingman Jimmy Butler, but that seems unlikely to happen given you can play them together as your starting wings. In an NBA where small ball is becoming the new trend, trading a two time All-Star who’s a top flight defender doesn’t make sense. Luol Deng is a gamer and it’s time fans acknowledge him for what he brings to the table. Overall Grade: A

The Magic will find out where they will select in the 2013 NBA Draft on Tuesday night when the Lottery teams gather in New York for the annual Draft Lottery. Until then, all the organization can do is its homework. At the NBA Draft Combine on Thursday and Friday, the Magic began the next phase of their homework getting the opportunity to interview and talk with the Draft prospects for the first time. The Magic took advantage of that to its fullest extent early on. Yes, they talked to the top prospects as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reported. Both Ben McLemore and Nerlens Noel were on their Thursday night interview schedule. Both are confident that they will be the top pick in the Draft and that they can sell themselves to whatever team gets the number one pick. The real meat of Rob Hennigan's work comes from interviewing the players lower down in the Draft. And here, we at least get a look at the Magic's early draft strategy. At Thursday's Draft Combine, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reported the Magic had already interviewed Lehigh point guard C.J. McCollum and Texas point guard Myck Kabongo. Both are very skilled scoring point guards with lots of talent. Kabongo played only 11 games at Texas because of NCAA rules violations. McCollum missed most of his senior season at Lehigh with a broken leg (that he is fully healed from, he opted not to participate in the combine), but he was a prolific scorer for the Mountain Hawks. Both of these players project to get drafted in the late lottery at the earliest. They are clearly not in the Magic's draft range. However, the fact the Magic are interviewing these prospects suggests that they recognize a need at point guard. Jameer Nelson is getting older and Beno Udrih is not likely to get re-signed this offseason. Magic fans seem to favor Trey Burke for that top draft pick, but that may be a bit of a reach unless Orlando ends up with the fourth pick. There is still time for him to climb up draft boards though. And it is still a very real possibility the Magic trade down. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel wrote that the Magic's Draft plans likely have not been completely hashed out. Tuesday's Draft Lottery should clear up the picture some. Orlando is simply doing its homework. If the team opts to trade down, drafting a point guard like McCollum or Kabongo is a real possibility. That is still a long way off though.