#1 Jonathan Kuninga – Forward – G-League
The #1 option atop of the Orlando Magic’s draft board at 5th overall this year should be Jonathan Kuminga and it is not close in my opinion. Not a lot of people know about Kuminga and his skill-level because he decided to skip playing college basketball and was one of the young talents to come straight out of high school into the NBA G-League.
This year, the 18-year-old forward played for the G-League Ignite team and was quite successful in his role. In 13 G-League games, Kuminga averaged 15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals and shot 38.7% from the floor.
Standing about 6’8”, Jonathan Kuminga has the length and versatility to either play on the wing or in the low-post against smaller defenders and alongside Jalen Green, his teammate on the G-League Ignite, Kuminga may be one of the best pure athletes in this draft class.
With almost a 7-foot wingspan, Jonathan Kuminga has all the tools to be an elite-level two-way player on the wing and with his insane leaping abilities, he is a guy that will put many people on posters at the next level. Offensively, Kuminga looks to use his athleticism and ball-handling skills to drive to the rim and oftentimes does not look to shoot from deep.
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Normally, as soon as Kuminga catches the ball, he is looking to attack his opponents and get the ball in the paint, where he shoots the ball at an extremely high percentage. With all the confidence in the world in himself and his athletic abilities, Jonathan Kuminga is the best forward prospect in this year’s draft class and the Magic would be foolish to pass up on him.
The one area where the Magic do not have a talented, young player is on the wing, which is why adding Kuminga would be huge for them. He is only 18-years-old and still a very raw prospect in terms of his skill as it translates to the NBA, but the good thing for Orlando is that they have time to focus on his development.
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The Orlando Magic are in no rush to turn themselves into a title contender in a matter of years and quite honestly, they could not do so if they tried! A slow, meaningful approach to player development should be their new strategy and focusing on Kuminga could result in him turning into a multi-time All-Star in the NBA.
There is always a chance that a player whose main focus/attribute is athleticism could end up being a bust, but there is a much better chance of Kuminga becoming a star. The Magic need the best, pure talent available and at fifth overall, this should be Jonathan Kuminga.
