Jase Richardson selected No. 25 overall by Magic | 2025 NBA Draft Grades & Instant Reaction

Jase Richardson selected No. 25 overall by Magic | 2025 NBA Draft Grades & Instant Reaction

absolutely. All right so Nick Clifford headed to the Sacramento Kings with the 25th overall selection. The Orlando Magic selecting Jace Richardson, the kid who can jump out of the gym from Michigan State. A lot of people had him mocked higher in this first round. What is your grade here? This is a B plus. This is actually exactly where I had him okay. Because I think Orlando needs two things following the Desmond Bane trade. They need backcourt depth and they need floor spacing in the form of shooting. And Richardson checks both of those those boxes. He was exceptionally efficient and simultaneously versatile. This year at Michigan State, scored at different spots on the floor and did it at a very high ratio. He even finished better at the rim than you would expect, because he’s still physically undeveloped in terms of his frame, and his basketball IQ is very, very high. Now, the problem is he’s not six foot three. In fact, he measured in at 6.5in, six feet and one half inches. So the combo guard thing is going to be tough at that size in the NBA. We’ll have to see if he can evolve into a true point guard. But he gives them the shooting in the backcourt depth that they needed. Yeah Orlando finished dead last in three point field goal percentage this this past season. So Desmond Bane helps that. But they needed more. And he does provide that. If you look at the season three point percentage it’s not as impressive as what I’m about to tell you. But what I’m about to tell you is true. Over the final 15 games of his college career, he shot 42% from three. The issue is the size. He’s little, you know, he’s little and he’s not a true point guard. And you can really get bullied on the defensive end of the court because though he is the son of a professional basketball player, he not a great athlete. He’s a good athlete, but not like off the charts athlete. So little, not an elite athlete. You got some stuff working against you. But he knows how to play. He knows how to change speeds and he can make a shot. I’m a believer. Did I hear that right? Did you say a b b plus? I think I just heard GP called call the guy little three times and say he was going to get bullied. It’s always a relative to other NBA players. He’s big relative to me. Little you’re little, you’re little. You’re going to get bullied 60 plus 85. He’s big. He’s six three. He’s big compared to Michigan. Michigan State listed him at six three. He got measured at six feet and one half inches. Yeah he’s big compared to me but little relative to most of the people. He’s going to be asked to guard B. Plus you gave it B plus okay. All right Matt Norlander is going to join the conversation here on Jace Richardson. You heard Adam. He said B. Plus you spent some time of course in East Lansing with Tom Izzo. You knew that three point shooting was their problem this past season. But as you heard Gary Jace came on at the end of the season. What do you think here this pick the fit for Jace Richardson yeah. Did I hear a D out of Gary Parrish on this by the way D from Gary Parrish on Jace Richardson no I don’t give grades. He’s dying to do it I’m not giving D’s. There’s no there’s no D’s. We’ve not given out a failing grade back that I had to bring it back for old times sake. We’ll get into that on the podcast after the draft is done. I’m not surprised here at all. Orlando is looking to draft a guard, almost regardless of which guard what the what the best player available here. I think that they were always destined to take a guard in this spot. I think in their heart of hearts they were hoping Walter Clayton Jr would fall to 25. I just think that it was off the board for days now. At this point, Richardson is going to have a chance. I don’t think he’s going to be a player that’s going to be playing relevant minutes for the magic over the next two seasons. He’s going to be a locker room boost. He’s going to he’s going to do the job. He’s having a father who not only at one point, I believe played for Orlando, who has, you know, spent, you know, well over a decade in the league. This is all going to help him like he’s going to I believe that he will stick in the league. He has plenty of work to do on his body. He’s got a I agree with Adam. He has to grow into a true point guard. He is a barely over six feet. If you look at the amount players, I think it’s in the single digits. At this point in the NBA, how many guys are six feet or under? Now? He technically beats that threshold by a half inch. He’s just going to have a lot of work to do there. And as I said before, the draft started earlier tonight, there was concern that he would drop from once thought to be a pick in the teens. You know, he did have the medical with his knee and he’s been a good player in spite of that. But sometimes teams will look at that and give it another reason as to why. You know what? All things being equal, we’re going to take a chance on someone else as opposed to an undersized guard, one and done player who wasn’t expected to initially be a one and done player. Good for Jace Richardson. He played himself into the spot. I think he sticks in the league, but I’m not sure if he’ll wind up being a starting level point guard at any point in his career. You like those new units? The new unit, the Orlando Magic, right? They look good. But I still go back to as a young

Adam Finkelstein, Gary Parrish, and Matt Norlander join CBS Sports HQ to grade Jase Richardson being drafted to the Magic via the Nuggets.

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