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Tyler Lashbrook takes a look at some shooting guard and small forward prospects who may be available when the Orlando Magic select in the second round of the 2013 NBA Draft. As a result of Tuesday's lottery, Orlando will have the second overall pick in the first round. - Ed.
Tony Snell
6-foot-7 / 198 pounds / 6-foot-11.5 wingspan
Season | School | G | MP | PER | TS% | eFG% | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | TOV% | USG% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010-11 | New Mexico | 34 | 595 | 9.0 | .510 | .477 | 3.3 | 9.5 | 6.5 | 9.4 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 16.7 | 15.0 |
2011-12 | New Mexico | 35 | 895 | 18.2 | .612 | .582 | 1.5 | 10.2 | 6.1 | 18.7 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 15.1 | 20.3 |
2012-13 | New Mexico | 35 | 1093 | 17.0 | .562 | .516 | 1.6 | 8.1 | 5.0 | 22.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 15.6 | 22.8 |
Career | New Mexico | 104 | 2583 | 15.6 | .571 | .533 | 2.0 | 9.2 | 5.7 | 18.1 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 15.6 | 20.1 |
Snell is an interesting swingman at whom the Magic could take a look. He's extremely long, with a nearly 7-foot wingspan, and he can dribble well enough to play the shooting guard spot. He can slide down to play small forward, but would need to add some weight to play that position full-time.
He's a good shooter from the catch-and-shoot position and right now that's where he's most comfortable, though he can also run through screens and knock down a jumper. He's a solid passer but relies mostly on drives and kicks to rack up assists.
With his athleticism and size, you'd like to see him rebound better, but he was pretty anemic in that aspect throughout his career. His five percent rebounding rate is puzzling considering his athletic gifts. He also gets to the free throw line at a low rate and won't be able to help the Magic out in that regard, where they were already awful last season.
Defensively, Snell is solid. He consistently gives effort on that end of the floor and really moves his feet well on the ball and through screens. His length is an added bonus as he's able to bother shooters on the perimeter. He has a lot of potential as a 3-and-D type of guy in the NBA.
Glen Rice Jr.
6-foot-6 / 211 pounds / 6-foot-9.25 wingspan
Season | Tm | G | MP | PER | TS% | eFG% | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | TOV% | USG% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012-13 | RIO | 42 | 996 | 21.2 | .614 | .578 | 8.4 | 18.7 | 13.7 | 12.0 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 13.4 | 21.3 |
Career | 42 | 996 | 21.2 | .614 | .578 | 8.4 | 18.7 | 13.7 | 12.0 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 13.4 | 21.3 |
Nobody in this year's draft will have the experience that Rice has. Through the NBA D-League, he proved that there's more than one way to crack the NBA. In March of 2012, Rice was kicked off Georgia Tech's basketball team. Prior to being kicked off, Rice was constantly benched for "disciplinary reasons" and could never find a way to stay on the court. When he was officially kicked off he had two choices: transfer to another college and sit out a year, or head to the D-League. The Rio Grande Valley Vipers selected Rice in the 4th round of the 2012 NBA D-League Draft.
Rice struggled to find playing time early on but eventually became a starter and led Rio Grande Valle to become 2013 D-League Champions. Rice averaged 25 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, two steals and two blocks in the playoffs, all while gaining professional experience. He was paid and learned how to deal with the rigors of traveling like a professional team. As an NBA prospect, Rice has a lot to offer.
The first thing you notice when watching Rice is his incredible athleticism. He used that athleticism in transition where he excelled, catching alley-oops and finishing easily at the rim. Per 36 minutes he averaged over a steal and a block while posting 9.3 rebounds. He shot 38.5 percent from the three-point line. And we should note that he is already comfortable with the NBA three-point line, as he's been shooting from it for months. He's a very willing passer and rounds out his game with a nice array of moves in the post, where he likes to attack smaller guards.
He has a long ways to go defensively. The consistent effort isn't always there. He also has a poor defensive stance and struggles to gain opponents on the perimeter. He has the physical tools to become at least an average defender but that'll take time and coaching.
Rice has a lot of concerns that will keep him from being drafted as high as his potential and talent say he should. Though he didn't have any problems on or off the court in the D-League, his disciplinary issues at Georgia Tech will scare some teams away on Draft night.
Ricky Ledo
6-foot-6 / 197 pounds / 6-foot-7.25 wingspan
Ledo is the most mysterious guy in the draft. He was highly touted coming out of high school but was declared academically ineligible in his only year at Providence. He was still allowed to practice but didn't play a single game as a Friar. Scouts saw Ledo in practice but are still unsure how to peg a guy who never played in a collegiate game.
But Ledo has impressed at the Draft Combine as has shown scouts the promise he had out of high school. He excels with the ball in his hands and is able to score from anywhere on the floor. He's such a good ballhandler that some scouts have wandered if he'll play point guard in the NBA.
Defensively he has his issues--but that's not out of the norm--especially for a guy who only played defense in practice. He also has a lot of character concerns. That, factored in with the fact that nobody saw him play against college competition, will keep him out of the lottery.
The talent is certainly there. You can't really tell much from highlight tapes, but if you want to see actual game footage of Ledo, here's some high school game clips. I'm not sure he'll still be available at No. 51 but if the Magic choose to stockpile assets via trade then he could be someone to take a look at.
Archie Goodwin
6-foot-4 / 189 pounds / 6-foot-9.5 wingspan
Season | School | G | MP | PER | TS% | eFG% | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | TOV% | USG% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012-13 | Kentucky | 33 | 1048 | 16.9 | .509 | .464 | 5.6 | 10.4 | 8.2 | 16.8 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 18.1 | 27.2 |
Career | Kentucky | 33 | 1048 | 16.9 | .509 | .464 | 5.6 | 10.4 | 8.2 | 16.8 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 18.1 | 27.2 |
Goodwin showed glimpses of lottery potential at points in the 2013 year's season at Kentucky, but has since drastically fallen off draft boards. The team as a whole struggled with inconsistency and toughness all year and you have to point at Goodwin to take some of the blame. He was as inconsistent as anyone on the team. But he does have tremendous upside and he's the youngest player in the draft so he will find a home in the NBA. That home just might be in the D-League for the first year or two.
Goodwin has tremendous athletic ability and he's super competitive. He's extremely fast in transition and when he drives to the lane. And he matches that speed with a nearly 6-foot-10 wingspan. When he gets a rebound, his natural instinct is take off, where he's one of the fastest players from one end of the court to the other. That gets him in trouble sometimes as he's often out of control and goes flying into someone. But it also puts tremendous pressure on a defense to get back or he will score an easy bucket at the rim.
He shot 51.2 percent out of pick-and-rolls this seaso,n per DraftExpress. When he turns the corner, he's looking to attack and gets to the rim at a high rate, as he averaged 6.4 attempts there in 31.8 minutes. On the defensive end, Goodwin shows great promise. He's extremely aggressive and loves playing passing lanes but he can also move his feet and his length can bother shooters.
Goodwin's lack of jump-shooting is going to kill him come Draft time. He's been shooting extremely poor at the Combine as his shot is flat and inconsistent. He shot well at the beginning of the season but really struggled down the stretch and finished shooting just 26.6 percent from three-point range. He's going to have even more trouble adjusting to the NBA three-point line if he doesn't work on his mechanics. He can be turnover-prone as he's ultra-aggressive and rushes himself into bad decisions. His shot selection also left a lot to be desired during his freshman campaign.
Goodwin probably would have benefitted from another season at Kentucky, but the outstanding incoming freshman class would have severely cut his playing time. He won't be ready to contribute to the NBA until he either fixes his jump shot or converts and improves as a point guard. But if Goodwin develops properly he could really be a home run with all of the potential he has athletically.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
6-foot-5 / 185 pounds / 6-foot-7 wingspan
Season | School | G | MP | PER | TS% | eFG% | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | TOV% | USG% |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010-11 | Michigan | 35 | 1074 | 20.3 | .557 | .520 | 3.1 | 11.6 | 7.5 | 12.1 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 9.4 | 25.5 |
2011-12 | Michigan | 34 | 1162 | 17.2 | .525 | .484 | 3.0 | 11.3 | 7.2 | 14.2 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 12.3 | 26.7 |
2012-13 | Michigan | 38 | 1324 | 17.7 | .538 | .516 | 0.8 | 14.8 | 8.0 | 13.0 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 12.2 | 23.7 |
Career | Michigan | 107 | 3560 | 18.3 | .539 | .507 | 2.2 | 12.7 | 7.6 | 13.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 11.4 | 25.2 |
Hardaway was overshadowed in his three years at Michigan. He was the second leading scorer--behind potential top-five pick Trey Burke--on the nation's second-best team. But he's been impressing scouts with the overall polish in his game.
He has the size and athleticism to be a solid shooting guard in the NBA. He has the ability score either off the dribble or in spot-up situations. I think his handle has been a little underrated throughout the years. He's able to make a simple move and pull up from practically anywhere on the floor. He moves well without the ball and seems to grasp the little nuances of when and where to cut for open looks.
He's also a lot stronger than his wiry frame would suggest. He put up 16 reps of 185 on the bench press at the Combine, which is pretty impressive considering his body type. That should help him defensively in the NBA as he could slide down to the small forward spot in a small-ball lineup.
Looking at his game, there's not a whole lot to criticize. His shot-selection was often questioned at Michigan but that could be a product of the system he played within. Michigan looked to push the pace and find shots early in their sets and Hardaway mostly played the wing taking those shots.
Like the other guys listed here, it's unlikely that Hardaway would actually fall all the way to No. 51 for the Magic. But he is a guy who should pique Orlando's interest. He would be ready to play right away and could provide some life to an offense that stalled out for periods of time last year.