NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Post-lottery predictions and shockers in the first-round

NBA Mock Draft 5th Pick: Orlando Magic

Poor Orlando. Despite being caught in a three-way deadlock by being one of three teams with the best odds for the first pick, the Magic flunked all the way down to fifth. Fortunately, the deep pool of rookies should still be enough for the team to clinch more than a consolation prize, especially after a boisterous tanking job in the latter half of the season.

It remains to be seen if Orlando is high on Wendell Carter Jr., but their current core of young talents in Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac is not particularly inspiring. On a fit and talent basis, Florida State’s Scottie Barnes should give them a whole lot of patchworks while acquiring a prospect with an intriguing skillset that is rare in the NBA.

Playmaking forwards who can score and defend are hard to come by. While his perimeter game is marginal at best, his upside as an ultra versatile building block gives justice to his steady rise in recent pre-draft projections. This time, don’t be surprised if Scottie Barnes jumps to the top five come draft night.