NBA Draft: Magic Exec Jeff Weltman Reveals 'Too Important' Need

The Orlando Magic needs to improve in the three-point shooting department during the NBA Draft and offseason.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 14, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is about a week away from the 2023 NBA Draft and there are many avenues the team can go in.

However, in an interview earlier this offseason with Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman, it appears Orlando has one need in particular.

“Every team is looking at shooting these days — it’s just become too important part of the game,” Weltman said via Khobi Price of the Orlando Sentinel. “For sure, we need to get better shooting the ball. But that can come from a lot of different avenues. That can come from internal growth over the summer, working individually with our players. It could come from the draft. It could come from discussions with other teams. It could come from shot selection. These are all parts of a growing team."

As a team, Orlando shot 47 percent from the field, good for 20th in the NBA. From beyond the three-point line, the Magic shot just 34.7 percent, which ranked them 24th in the league.

The team has Gary Harris, who was second in the NBA in three-point shooting last year, but Orlando needs more than him to carry the load. Perhaps players like Jalen Suggs and Markelle Fultz will improve, but the need is so important that the Magic should use at least one of its picks to select a really good shooter.

Among the rookies available within the Magic's range that can help in that department are Kansas guard Gradey Dick, Baylor freshman Keyonte George and UConn National Champion Jordan Hawkins.

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Published Jun 14, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.