2023 NBA Mock Draft 5.0: Pistons face difficult choice at No. 2

Orlando is loading up on backcourt talent here. Amen Thompson, twin brother of Ausar, is even more explosive off the bounce. It has been commonplace to refer to him as an instant paint touch. Defenses are generally comfortable sagging off Thompson at the 3-point line and it seldom matters.

For the Magic, Thompson has to feel like an absolute steal at No. 4. Factor in the Nick Smith pick at No. 8, and suddenly Orlando has its backcourt of the future. In Thompson, a speedy slasher and facilitator. In Smith, a shifty score-first guard and play finisher. This complicates the future of Markelle Fultz and especially Cole Anthony, but Orlando doesn’t have any better options here. A Thompson-Smith-Wagner-Banchero-Carter starting five is going places.

At 6-foot-7 Thompson, is plenty versatile on the defensive end. The Magic would maintain elite size at every position while adding a table-setter with more upside than Fultz. Thompson can make every pass in the book and he’s a nutty finisher in the paint, elevating above the crowd with ease and possessing elite body control. He’s maybe the best athlete in a lottery filled with impressive athletes.

He’s already a disciplined and impactful on-ball defender, although there will definitely be a learning curve going from Overtime Elite to the NBA. Thompson is the rare mega-athlete who also thinks the game better than most of his peers. The expectation here is multiple All-Star appearances if all goes to plan.