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5 players Orlando Magic need to target in NBA Draft

By Rob Wolkenbrod

Feb 27, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes forward Jakob Poeltl (42) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Utah 2on 70-64. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 27, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes forward Jakob Poeltl (42) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Arizona Wildcats at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Utah 2on 70-64. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 17, 2016; Des Moines, IA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Skal Labissiere (1) drives to the basket against Stony Brook Seawolves forward Jameel Warney (20) during the first half in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2016; Des Moines, IA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Skal Labissiere (1) drives to the basket against Stony Brook Seawolves forward Jameel Warney (20) during the first half in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Skal Labissiere, PF/C, Kentucky

Despite having youth at center in Nikola Vucevic, the Magic are in need of another big man. They could lose Jason Smith in free agency and Ersan Ilyasova only has a partially guaranteed contract for 2016-17. Aaron Gordon is certainly on the rise as well, but depth behind him and Vucevic would be helpful.

A big man who could be available in the No. 11 pick range is Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere.

Labissiere is a 7-footer who showed plenty of upside at Rupp Arena this past season. He displayed a knack for being a rim protector, averaging 1.6 BPG in just 15.8 MPG. Labissiere also is known for his jump shot, which was displayed at UK, but not completely. Three-pointers can be part of his game, as seen at the 2015 Nike Hoops Summit, but this was never seen under John Calipari.

There has been some skepticism around the 20-year-old, though. He had plenty of hype coming into the 2015-16 season, but didn’t live up to expectations. This could be due to limited minutes, not immediately displaying his upside, or being too hyped by the media. However, with all the measurables that Labissiere has, it leaves teams thinking he has the upside to become a solid contributor.

Upside could be an issue with the Magic picking him, though, as they have been working with Gordon, who came in as a project, and still is one. The difference is Labissiere has shown he can be a rim protector in short minutes, so this could lead the Magic to selecting and developing him behind the already established Vucevic for a number of years. This will let his slim frame fill out and eventually work to become a quality big man in the NBA for years to come.

Next: No. 4

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