Against all odds, four teams passed on Jalen Suggs which allowed the Orlando Magic to pounce on him with the fifth pick. Before the draft, I had coined him the best player available. Suggs has "it." He brings court vision, athleticism, shooting potential, but most of all: the will to win. He has the engine of a sports car and will pair well with Cole Anthony as they are both combo point guards.
It has been a few hours since the selection and euphoria still fills the air in "The City Beautiful." Hours before the draft, NBA insiders tweeted out the first three picks and there was a lot of buzz about the Raptors at four, being a lock to pick the uber-talented point guard out of Gonzaga. However, they went with Scottie Barnes in a possible attempt to replace Pascal Siakam, who has been involved in trade rumors. I expected Toronto to take Suggs and Barnes to be Orlando's choice.
There is a lot to like about Barnes and he will be a versatile player but Jalen Suggs is a franchise-changing piece that brings so much to an organization. He's one of those athletes that could excel in anything. Suggs was an exceptional quarterback in high school and had offers to play at Ohio St, Minnesota, and Georgia. Oh, most importantly, he's a leader and will be influential in that young locker room. Orlando got a real one. The Las Vegas Summer League starts up on August 8th and that's when we should get our first look at him as a Magician!