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NBA Mock Draft 2012: Orlando Magic Selections Include Arnett Moultrie, Perry Jones

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-US PRESSWIRE
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-US PRESSWIRE

There's no consensus on whom the Orlando Magic will select in the 2012 NBA Draft, at least not according to four mocks Orlando Pinstriped Post surveyed Friday. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, writing for Yahoo! Sports, believes the team will take Mississippi State big man Arnett Moultrie with the 19th overall selection, though he cautions it's tough to peg what Orlando might do given its lack of a General Manager and head coach. "With so much uncertainty in the frontcourt, a player like Moultrie could be a great pick here," says Givony.

ESPN's Chad Ford also has Orlando going with a big, but just not Moultrie: he has Orlando selecting Baylor forward Perry Jones III. Once considered a lottery pick, Jones' stock has dropped in recent weeks because "no one knows what position he'll play in the pros," according to Ford. Still, Ford says the 6-foot-11 behemoth is "a top-five talent" according to some draft experts. He believes Jones could fill a need for the Magic.

Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com has a different take on the situation, writing in his latest mock that the team will select St. John's swingman Moe Harkless in order to groom him to replace Hedo Turkoglu.

At NBADraft.net, Aran Smith has Orlando going in still another direction, taking point guard Kendall Marshall from North Carolina. There's no questioning Marshall's talent, and his passing ability is unparalleled in this draft class, so it's strange to fathom that he'd drop all the way to 19 overall. But Smith notes that "the league is saturated with quality young point guards at the moment, and many teams are not in need."

Moultrie averaged 16.4 points and 10.8 rebounds for the Bulldogs in the 2011/12 campaign. Jones posted 13.5 and 7.6 on 50 percent shooting, while Harkless stuffed the stat sheet with 15.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and three combined steals and blocks. Marshall scored just 8.1 per game, but dished 9.8 assists, which figure ranked second in the NCAAs.

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