Winner: Orlando Magic
At the fourth spot and on the outside looking in at the Wiggins, Parker, and Embiid race, the Orlando Magic made some surprisingly good choices. They spent their early first pick on athletic forward Aaron Gordon out of Arizona, who was a resident on SportsCenter Top 10 last season with his dunking ability. Although, his offensive game is not polished yet, he has the potential to become a 17 and 10 player over the next two to three seasons.
As one of two teams with multiple lottery picks, it was clear they would need to address the immediate issue following the trade of Aron Affalo to the Nuggets. But, who would they choose to run with Victor Oladipo, who had a strong rookie campaign? They took the appropriate approach by trading to get Elfrid Payton Jr, the 6-4 guard from Louisiana-Lafayette. The quiet, confident guard is a very poised ball handler yet very aggressive on both ends of the floor. His constant offensive pressure left defenders with no other choice than to foul as he ended up leading the nation in free throw attempts. In his words, “I live in the paint”.
One of the best things about the two being drafted together is that they were actually teammates on the 19U USA Mens Basketball team during the FIBA Championships, so the chemistry is well developed both on the court and off.
The Orlando Magic definitely got a dub.