Last week I started doing some player profiles for some of the guys the Magic will be looking @ around picks 5 and 8…Hit on James Bouknight, Evan Mobley, Jalen Green…now let’s take a look @ 2 guys who are mocked to the Magic more than any other- Scottie Barnes and Jonathan Kuminga.
Scottie Barnes:
NBA comps- Draymond Green/Jabari Parker.
Talk about a wide range of outcomes with those comps.
Barnes averaged 10.3 points, 4.1 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game as a freshman last season.
He’s a modern point forward, fits perfectly with today’s NBA as long as he can develop and his skills transfer over.
Strengths:
Versatility, power, ball-handling, high motor, great physique. Shot 56% from the field. (6’8 225 with a 7’2 wingspan).
Weakness:
Like most FSU players, he played limited minutes because of the system Leonard Hamilton deploys. Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Shot less than 30% from 3.
To me he sounds like a really high-end 6th man.
So, what about the other guy?
Jonathan Kuminga:
Another 6’7 220 guy with ridiculous athleticism and the physique you want in an NBA player. Neither of these guys look like players that need to “grow into their bodies”
15.8 ppg 7.2 rebounds per game in the G-League. He’s a great transition player, he can score from anywhere, and it looks like he’s oozing with upside.
Strengths:
Handles, passing, good enough defender right now (1 steal per game), skilled enough to create is own shot.
Weakness:
24% from 3! Poor foul shooter 62%. Lacks diversity in his post moves.
NBA Comp: Jaylen Brown
Overview:
Barnes sounds a lot like the type of player the Magic have been going after more times than not in recent years. This team is not in a place, admittedly, to draft out of need and need alone. But, the Magic do need scoring, they definitely need upside. Kuminga provides both of those in spades. If the Magic don't move up, he's my play @ pick 5.
Photo: Getty Images