Chris Carlson/Associated Press
The Orlando Magic selected forwards or centers with their three previous No. 1 overall picks in the NBA draft.
Orlando will likely follow that trend in the 2022 NBA draft because of the available prospects and their team needs.
Orlando won the draft lottery on Tuesday night, and immediately after, a majority of draft experts linked it with Auburn forward Jabari Smith.
Smith appears to be the best fit inside the current Orlando offense, and he could be preferred over Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero next month.
Jabari Smith
Most experts agree that Jabari Smith is now the front-runner for the No. 1 overall pick.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman and The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie all connected Smith to the Magic after the draft lottery.
The Auburn product could be an ideal fit alongside Cole Anthony, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs inside the young Orlando offense.
Wasserman pointed out that Smith’s skill set complements the stars on the Orlando roster and that he will not conflict with Mo Bamba if the center returns to central Florida.
“He’ll give Orlando’s guards a target to kick to or feature around the post. And though it’s unclear what will happen with restricted free agent Mo Bamba, they’d pair well together because of Smith’s perimeter skills and Bamba’s shot-blocking.”
Smith averaged 16.9 points per game in his lone season at Auburn. He shot 42.9 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point range.
Smith’s three-point numbers have to be intriguing to the Magic because they can use him in a variety of roles in offensive sets.
The 6’10” forward would join Shaquille O’Neal, Chris Webber and Dwight Howard as No. 1 overall picks chosen by the Magic if he goes first in June.
If Smith has half the career those three players had, he could be a rousing success in Orlando.
Paolo Banchero
SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell kept Paolo Banchero on top of his draft board after the lottery.
Banchero’s overall performances at Duke made him one of the top prospects in the draft class, and there is a chance he could be chosen first over Smith.
“Banchero has maintained his status as our top prospect from the very start of this draft cycle because of his striking combination of size and offensive skill,” O’Donnell wrote. “At 6’10, 250 pounds, Banchero has the ball handling and live dribble passing chops of a guard with multiple avenues to produce points for himself and his teammates.”
Banchero checks in at the same size as Smith, and he was a slightly better scorer at the collegiate level with 17.2 points per game.
The most striking difference between Smith and Banchero is three-point shooting percentage. Banchero was only a 33.8 percent shooter from deep.
Banchero did not have to take a ton of three-point shots at Duke because he had A.J. Griffin and others around him on the perimeter.
However, it is notable that Banchero shot that percentage while averaging 3.3 three-point attempts per contest.
The sample size is large enough to be criticized, and that might be the difference between going first, second or third in the 2022 NBA draft.
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