Albert Lergier

Per ESPN's Jonathan Givony, Dick is viewed as the best shooter in this year's class by "many NBA teams." "He has elite footwork, balance and confidence running off screens, pulling up off the dribble and drifting into spot-up three-pointers with excellent mechanics and range," Givony wrote.1 day ago And like this comment about Gradey (only 19)....there are multiple more stating how good a shooter he already is. He has proved it. Disrupt the lottery and pick him with #6? I snafu that the Magic by having two high firsts will disrupt the lottery this year....maybe.

Me too....but, we shall see the FA or FA's that we can get to help us win big. Brooks Lopez?

Orlando Magic Primed To Make Blockbuster NBA Trade - June 4 - Ashish Mathur Dan Favale of Bleacher Report predicted that the Magic, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2020, will swing an aggressive win-now trade. The team is loaded with young players and draft assets — including the 6th and 11th picks in the 2023 NBA Draft. “The Orlando Magic remain ridiculously young,” Favale wrote. “Paolo Banchero (21) and Franz Wagner (22), their two most important players, will both be under the age of 22 when next season tips off. Jalen Suggs turns 22 in June. (Related: I hope you didn’t sell any Jalen Suggs stock.) Wendell Carter Jr. is only 24. Cole Anthony is 23. Markelle Fultz just celebrated his 25th birthday. Orlando will add two more lottery picks (No. 6 and No. 11) to this core. There are benefits to the Magic being patient as opposed to making such a trade, but they may already be ready to take a significant step forward if they choose to do so. The team had rapidly improved on defense throughout last season. “Slow-playing it is reasonable. So is speeding things up. This team is closer to arrival than the age and experience of its nucleus suggests. The Magic played over .500 basketball for more than half of the season, going 29-24 after starting the year 5-20 before closing out the schedule on a four-game losing streak. Their defense also ranked 11th in points allowed per possession. Infusing the rotation with a proven offensive organizer, scorer, floor-spacer, whatever will go a looong way.” The Magic won 34 games this season. They have a talented young core headlined by Paolo Banchero, Markelle Fultz, Bol Bol, Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony, Wendell Carter Jr., Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac. If Orlando can acquire an All-Star this summer, the team could make some serious in the East next season. He mentioned Fred VanVleet, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, and LaMelo Ball as potential options. They surely have the assets to land one of them. “Cap space can help. Orlando is slated for over $22 million in spending power. That’s not enough to bid on everyone, and inflating this number will require tough calls. But the Magic do have the assets to scope out the trade—or sign-and-trade—market,” Favale wrote.

Tracking Coulibaly's playoff games: MAY 28 - SEMIFINALS GAME 1 Coulibaly (2 PTS) - Wembanyana (19 PTS) MAY 30 - SEMIFINALS GAME 2 Coulibaly (15 PTS) - Wembanyana (13 PTS) JUNE 2 - SEMIFINALS GAME 3 Coulibaly (9 PTS) - Wembanyana (14 PTS) JUNE 4 - SEMIFINALS GAME 4 - TEAM ADVANCES TO THE FINALS Coulibaly (16 PTS) - Wembanyana (15 PTS) TOTALS: Coulibaly (42 PTS), AVG 10 - Wembanyana (61 PTS), AVG 15 FINALS 1ST GAME, SATURDAY JUNE 10 AT 2:30 PM ET Metropolitans 92’s best-of-five series vs. AS Monaco Basket. Games will be streamed live on NBA.com and the NBA App.

One of the things that impresses me the most watching the tape, is the age of the players he is going against at his short age of 18......some of them don't even have hair !!! Amen and Ausar were playing versus 16 - 20 years old......and are older than Coulibaly by 2 years. At this same age Franz went to college and played 2 seasons for Michigan.......just imagine. Incredibly high ceiling, hyper athletic, coach Spin described him as. He has flaws, don't get me wrong, but the positives out weight the areas of improvements. Plus we are not asking him to be a star on day one....Paolo, Franz, Wendell, Markelle, Jalen have the responsibility to carry this team, not Coulibaly or whoever is added. With pick 6, do the Magic raise to the occasion and get him?

Tankathon has him (Ben Sheppard) at 49 !!! This draft is going to have (IMHO) some craziness....AND I THINK THE MAGIC COULD BE ONE OF THE TEAMS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE CRAZINESS. If the Magic draft Coulibaly with their 6........BOOM !!! This league is almost all about wing players and 3 point shooters, even though this year's # 1 overfall is considered a center. Which in reality he is not all the time, he plays more as a wing....sure with his size and wingspan Pop wants him around the paint area as much as possible. It's going to be interesting to see the way the teams strategize to defend / limit him to dominate. He will probably end playing a lot like the Jokic......we just shall see.

Ben was one of your favs for our 2nd rounder......right?

So, why not us be the pickers of Coulibaly with # 6? If future phenom Ausar has been in the conversation for us at 6, Coulibaly has merits too. A few facts of each of them: Ausar - 21 in January 6'7", 7' wingspan, 218 lbs Playing professional since 2021 in OTE League. OTE is a pro league for players 16 - 20 years old Coulibaly - 19 in July 6'8", 7'3"wingspan, 190 lbs Playing professional since 2021 in LNB Pro A League. LNB Pro A League is the top-tier men's professional basketball league in France. In addition, he was a guard until he had (Soul's post) a late growth spurt that took him from 5-11 as a 16-year-old...to 6'7" - 6'8" NOTE OF INTEREST: "Three weeks later, Brad Stevens was seated courtside at the Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan, the Mets arena. The president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics was attending an off-season game between the Mets and Le Portel. People were whispering, Is he there for Victor [Wembanyama]? No. Bilal Coulibaly was the only reason for Stevens’ appearance. But sadly, he was injured" I'M SURE THAT THE MAGIC'S FRONT OFFICE KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON AND ARE DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE....AS THEY DID WITH FRANZ AND PAOLO !!!

JALEN SUGGS !!!!!!!!!!!! A SUPERSTAR DEFENDER !!!!!!!!!!!

SOME NOTABLES: 1) Jarace at 5 to Pistons, had him at 10 2) Ausar is not top 6 3) Jordan Hawkins is now at 13....had him at 17 4) Lively at 10 from 20 5) Coulibaly at 13 from 19 6) Keyonte down to 23 from 14 THINGS ARE BEGINNING TO BOIL !!!!!

I bet that team (if the rumor is true) is OKC.

Orlando Magic The known list of players to have worked out with the Magic: Enrique Freeman, Akron Gregory “GG” Jackson II, South Carolina Jett Howard, Michigan+ Trey Jemison, UAB Craig Porter Jr., Wichita State+ Jordan Walsh, Arkansas+ +Scheduled

And might never make the playoffs under his tenure......maybe.

A true 3 & D player, Chuma is.....time to get serious and work on his handle and shooting.

Watched this brand new mock draft by coach Spins...... A few comments: 1) Can't believe he has Jordan Hawkins at 23 when this assessment is out there: Shooting 39 percent on 7.6 three-point attempts per game in his sophomore season, Hawkins was likely the best shooting talent in all of college basketball. I thought that Jordan Hawkins along Gradey and Javonte, all three, would be in the conversation for picks 10 - 13 2) Agree that Ausar could drop from # 6.....he has him at 10. 3) Agree that Cason Wallace could be a top 10 pick. If this materializes, Jordan, Gradey and Javonte, all 3 shooters, should be available at 11. 4) Agree that there is a good chance that Cam, Jarace and Taylor are going to be available at 6 and that one of them is who we're drafting......although I think the Pistons draft Jarace leaving us Cam or Taylor.

Besides GG Jackson....anyone has any kind of "intel info, etc" of the players that have worked out or will work out for the Magic? Orlando Magic The known list of players to have worked out with the Magic: Gregory “GG” Jackson II, South Carolina

Could Jarace be the one with our 6th pick.....to solidify our interior defense helping up Paolo and Wendell? Jarace Walker combines Defensive Player of the Year upside with singular power and finesse on the offensive end. Jarace Walker is arguably the best defensive prospect in the 2023 NBA Draft.....he has small-ball center potential. “Versatility” has become something of a buzzword in the NBA discourse. It is, if nothing else, a rather versatile word. It can apply to a broad number of attributes, many different facets of the game. What makes Jarace Walker special — and what makes him a potential top-5 pick — is his versatility. And, in the case of Walker, that word can hold any number of different meanings. Walker, who looks like he would make a tremendous professional wrestler if he ever fancied a change of profession, has been a guiding light for one of the best programs in college basketball. He impacts the game at a high level on both ends and he’s set up well for a potentially deep run in March. The top of the draft is loaded with talent. A lot of prospects fit a more traditional mold of theoretical offensive star than Walker. A lot of prospects play flashier basketball, or have bigger followings on social media. But not many of them will outwork Walker, and very few project as better NBA players long-term.

With everything that is going on with the Celtics....are they better off trading Jaylen Brown on draft night (than loosing him on free agency next year) for a high pick, players and more picks? Markelle or Suggs (which one we want to keep), our 6th pick, Chuma or JI + a few 2nd round picks....not sure this offer will cut it for them. Nevertheless, I think Jaylen will be there for a trade on draft night.

Keyonte's impressive showing has to help the Magic have more good options at 11....got to get the best all around player and with the potential to be an NBA 3 point shooter.

Another big question that "we have to solve in this board :-)" is, which is the team that is going to eventually be picking 3rd? I think once the players begin to workout for teams, is when the noise about this trade is going to take some shape. I'm going to throw this one out there....the Pelicans trade Zion to the Blazers for this pick. A few more players have to be involved due to Zion's 30+ million dollars contract.

Jaylen Brown.....unrestricted free agent next year and 27 years old......hopefully we can land him for the 24-25 season and 4 more.

Agree that the Blazers can trade Dame in a blockbuster trade with multiple teams and get Ayton from Phoenix and a couple more players, picks and still draft Scoot.

Correct, in my opinion too.....Scoot could fall to 4. 1 Spurs - Victor 2 Hornets - Brandon Miller (LaMelo is their PG) 3 Blazers - Who knows what they are going to do but Dame is their PG - if they don't trade the pick, Amen should be the one. 4 Rockets - With a good chance to get Scoot based on above scenario 5 & 6 - Pistons and Magic pick either or Ausar or Whitmore (and either one takes Chuma or JI minutes)

Knowing the order of the lottery tomorrow is going to add spice to the mock drafts as the team needs will be factored in. The Magic go into the lottery with a good chance to move up.....regardless if it happens or not this draft has potential everywhere. If we get super lucky (I certainly want to be) can imagine the menu of dozens of scenarios we are going to be tasting.....before dinner is served.

So the Heat eliminated the Kinicks.....I think the current Magic's team - IN PLAYOFF / DO OR DIE MODE - would win over any of them right now. I BELIEVE THAT THE MAGIC NEXT YEAR WILL MAKE A BIG BOOM AROUND THE WHOLE NBA !!!!