'FIRE THE GM!' Magic Fans React to Draft Class
ORLANDO - Last night was filled with excitement as Orlando Magic fans piled into the Amway Center and imagined drafting players such as local prospect Taylor Hendricks from the University of Central Florida and elite shooter Gradey Dick out of Kansas.
Those dreams quickly died. While many cheered at the team's selections of Anthony Black and Jett Howard, an abundance also booed and chanted, "Fire the GM!"
But is the hate warranted? Or is this simply a case of "Tingus Pingus" syndrome where the fans are unfamiliar with a draft prospect's game and then proceed to watch them become an All-Star?
Starting with the selection of Black at No. 6 overall, on a base level, he's a guard who excels defensively and could have played D-1 football. The same could be said when describing former No. 5 overall pick, Magic guard Jalen Suggs, but they aren't the same player.
On paper, Suggs was the more developed guard coming out of college. Statistically, his freshman numbers at Gonzaga eclipses Black in every metric ... but look at where that refinement has led Suggs' career thus far.
Through two seasons, Suggs has disappointed and shown himself incapable of leading an NBA offense with nearly as many turnovers as he's had assists while shooting below 39 percent from the field. Yikes.
So it's understandable why fans would be upset at the franchise picking Black, whose quick comparison is a player that hasn't panned out the way that the team hoped and actually looks even worse on paper as a prospect, BUT again, they're not the same.
Black was selected with the sole intention of developing him into something special. Standing at 6-7, he is a massive point guard that should be able to make an impact early on as a defensive stalwart while he improves his jumper. In the meantime, his superb passing ability, which has already been nicknamed "Black Magic," will hopefully make him a player reminiscent of a young Ben Simmons.
Regarding Orlando's second selection at No. 11 overall, Howard actually makes a lot of sense. While many fans were enamored with the idea of selecting Dick, the draft's premier sharpshooter, they ignored the rest of his game, particularly his struggles defensively and when it came to creating his own shot.
Howard, on the other hand, is a more well-rounded shooting guard with the size to play at forward if needed. Standing at 6-8 and shooting nearly 40 percent from three, Howard proved himself capable of creating his own shot while at Michigan.
Although few, if any, mock drafts anticipated Howard being selected as high as the Magic opted to take him, they believed that he has underrated two-way ability, which was masked by an injury last season that left him unable to perform at peak ability.
Fans on Twitter were again quick to compare the second of Orlando's draft picks to another underperforming player on the squad, Chuma Okeke, a first-round selection from 2019. Again, Jett is larger and worth allowing an opportunity to prove himself, especially since his father is former All-Star Juwan Howard, who played 19 seasons in the NBA.
Despite Magic fans not walking away from the draft with the players they envisioned, their chants to fire general manager John Hammond seem a bit premature as he tries to establish a massive positionless lineup where the starting five ranges from 6-7 to 6-11 and can defend any opponent come playoffs.
Perhaps this draft class isn't the flashiest on paper in the short term. However, if given time to develop their skills in Orlando, there are reasons for optimism regarding the contributions a "Jett Black'" duo can provide the Magic in future postseason runs. Their first chance to prove fans wrong is just around the corner in the NBA Summer League.
You can follow Isaiah DeAnda Delgado on Twitter and Instagram @IsaiahDDelgado.
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