Way-too-early 2023 NBA Re-draft: Where do Scoot Henderson and Toumani Camara end up?
By Reese Kunz
No. 11: Orlando Magic select Keyonte George
Original pick: Jett Howard
In 2019, the Phoenix Suns found a gem in North Carolina forward Cameron Johnson, who at the time was viewed as a reach at pick No. 11.
The Suns made the first truly shocking move of the night, by reaching significantly for the oldest player in the draft in Cameron Johnson. Johnson was not one of the 24 players invited to sit in the NBA Draft Green Room, and there was some talk that he may fall to the 2nd round.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 21, 2019
The Orlando Magic were seemingly trying to emulate a similar formula of reaching for a lengthy sharpshooter at pick No. 11. To be fair, it's still early, and prospects develop at their own pace. However, it's still pretty apparent that this gamble on Michigan's Jett Howard significantly backfired for them.
In his rookie season, Howard only saw the court for an average of 3.7 minutes a game. Even worse, his shooting that made him a lottery pick hasn't translated so far, connecting on 28 percent of his three-point attempts. If the Magic got a redo, they would be thrilled with Keyonte George still available at No. 11.
The Baylor guard's playmaking ability would be a massive boost for Orlando. It would take pressure off All-Star Paolo Banchero, who is constantly relied on to orchestrate the offense. George would add to their list of combo guards between Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony. But the Magic have yet to figure out their backcourt situation; they need to continue investing assets into it until it's solved.