2023 NBA Redraft: Podziemski skies into the Top 10 as Warriors land forward
No. 11: Orlando Magic select Keyontae George, Baylor
The final of three-straight point guards goes to the Orlando Magic, who are in such better shape in this redraft than they are in real life. They essentially blew their 11th pick on Michigan shooter Jett Howard, at the time ranked by most behind fellow movement shooters Gradey Dick and Jordan Hawkins. One year later? He is ranked much further behind them.
This go around they instead get to add a strong do-it-all wing in Brandin Podziemski and follow it up with an upside play at point guard with Baylor guard Keyontae George. Unsurprisingly, as a rookie point guard who didn't turn 20 until after the season started, George was wildly inconsistent. Some games he would can 9 3-pointers, and other games he would go 0-for-6 or have six turnovers.
The upside is there, and whether or not the consistency comes along is more of a question mark. If it does, however, a core of Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs, Brandin Podziemski and Keyontae George would be phenomenal.
Original Pick: Jett Howard, Michigan
No. 12: Dallas Mavericks select Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
After Keyontae George is another tier break, and this point in the redraft is where team context begins to have more of an effect. Is a team taking a shot on upside, or do they need to project a player into a specific role? What are their team needs for both position and skill? Early in the draft a player's talent level and upside should take precedent, but at this point we transition into a different phase of the draft.
The Dallas Mavericks originally traded back two spots and took Dereck Lively, but he is off the board here. They could go for a shooter like Gradey Dick or Jordan Hawkins, but given how well they have played with two centers they instead take Trayce Jackson-Davis out of Indiana.
Jackson-Davis had an unexpectedly strong rookie season after being drafted with the 57th pick of the draft. He worked his way into the rotation for the Golden State Warriors and then eventually into the starting lineup, and his per-36 numbers of 17.2 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks speak to his steady production. The Warriors took players at 19 and 57 who went 6 and 12 in this redraft, making them one of the clear winners of the 2023 NBA Draft.