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NBA Draft: Indiana PG Jalen Hood-Schifino Fit for Magic?
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic can do a lot of damage in this year's NBA Draft with a pair of lottery picks.
The Magic has its own pick, which holds the sixth-best odds to be No. 1, and it has the Chicago Bulls selection, the final piece coming to Orlando in the Nikola Vucevic trade from two years ago.
SI's Draft Digest believes a player who could be in the running for that second lottery pick is Indiana point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino.
"Hood-Schifino will likely be in the Magic’s second pick range, if it conveys from Chicago. And as a 6-foot-6 true point guard, he might be high on their board," Draft Digest writes. "A pick-and-roll maestro whose only true knocks were turnovers and inefficient shooting, Hood-Schifino projects to be an eventual three-level scorer with some passing and playmaking chops, as well as some defensive upside.
"He’s not a project pick, but he’s not exactly a sure fire bet here, either. Orlando could take the risk in developing him as their point guard of the future, creating a jumbo lineup."
Should he join the Magic, Hood-Schifino would join a very crowded backcourt with Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Gary Harris and Cole Anthony. While he may have a lot of upside as an incoming rookie, he may not get a whole lot of playing time with those four roadblocking his chance to get on the court.
That being said, it's hard to deny Hood-Schifino's talent and he is someone to watch for, especially if the Magic looks to draft the best player available every time the team is on the clock.
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