I know the loudest people are mad right now because we have injuries and aren’t 37-0, but shout out to Weltman and crew for their work during the two most important drafts of this rebuild.
In [2021](https://www.nba.com/news/2021-nba-draft-results-picks-1-60) we got Suggs and Wagner, and in [2022](https://www.nba.com/news/2022-nba-draft-order) we got Banchero and Houstan. As of today, those look like BPA at each of those draft slots (I’d rather have Houstan than Hardy; you could argue Wagner should have been #5, but if we’d taken him 5 we wouldn’t have gotten Suggs at 8).
Can anyone think of another front office that absolutely nailed 4 consecutive draft picks?
by aubreyw
5 Comments
Kevin Durant – 2007
Russel Westbrook, Serge Ibaka -2008
James Harden – 2009
Hard to compete with 3 MVPs and a near DPOY, but yes this looks to have the potential of something special in Orlando as well.
Good work by Weltman.
I wanted to see the Magic trade up with the 2nd pick in 2022 by trading away Okeke and a future first. Excited for Houstan’s development, but in my opinion, it’s time to start consolidating talent. We really have no room for 8-9 prospects on a roster.
The 2021 and 2022 drafts are the backbone of this team for sure. Cole Anthony and even Jonathan Isaac were not bad picks as well, Anthony was good value at 15, and it’s hard to believe anyone saw Isaac’s injury history happening, when he’s played he’s been great.
Bamba was a big miss though, that can’t be denied, and the lack of second round pick success is also a knock.
My biggest concern is the 2023 draft was likely our last significant bite at lottery talent for some time (hopefully) and with two chances in such an already deep looking draft early returns are underwhelming. Going into the draft we knew a few things: #1 we already had a logjam at guard with 4 guys (Fultz/Suggs/Anthony/Harris) who all had showed they deserved 20+ minutes at least. Picking two more guards was an interesting decision to say the least.
AB was in my mind a gamble, a non shooter added to a team where the number 1 need was shooting. He’s been a lot better than I expected, still, he’s generally a non factor on offense.
Jett was just a weird weird pick. He was fine in one year of college, but clearly had things to work on. He was not some elite shooter, nor a good creator, and he didn’t look like he had the chops to play defense full time at the 2 in the nba.
Lo and behold, we still have not seen anything out of him.
1st round Players taken after Anthony Black in the draft with more win shares already: Jacquez, Cason Wallace, Podziemski, Jackson-Davis, Lively, Jordan Hawkins.
1st round players taken after Jett with more win shares:
33.
If black can turn into a plus starter, it removes the sting of what is looking like a bust of an 11th pick. Or if Jett can turn into at least a decent bench piece.
Overall though, hitting on Franz/Suggs/Paolo was huge, Houstan looks like an NBA player which is about the best you can hope for a 2nd rounder.
only weird picks for me have been Chuma and Jett. Kind of a shame Jett is practically unplayable on defense due to his horrible lateral quickness and footwork since he’s a talented shooter, especially since Mose demands good defense from all of the players