| "The Next Twin Towers, In Orlando?" Authored by Randy Morrison - June 17, 2005 - 12:39 am
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Let me elaborate a little bit on that idea: the Magic should trade down in the draft. You may be asking why would we do that when we would possibly have a shot at guys like Hakim Warrick, Antoine Wright, or Channing Frye. The answer is simple. The answer is a kid the magic could snag later in the first round. The answer is a kid named Andray Blatche. Wait, I know what you are all thinking: “this guy can’t be serious, another highschooler, let alone a big man who wonders around the perimeter.” Yes, at first glance that would be what just about everyone said. In this article, we are going to go beyond the first glance and take a serious look at Andray.
Andray Blatche is an athletic kid who measures in at 6'11'' and 248 lbs. Sounds kind of like flash backs of the 2004 draft, doesn’t it? Blatche is known for his quickness on the defensive end, which helps him block and alter a large number of shots. He is very lengthy, and his arms remind of Tayshaun Prince in this regard. This kid could give opposing players fits on defense, which makes him a fit to play alongside Dwight Howard. On the offensive side of the ball, the kid can stroke the ball… period. Not only does he have NBA 3 point range, but his shot is fundamentally sound. You can see he has the form of a shooter just by watching him take jumpers. The kid has a great back-to-the-basket game, which includes a beautiful fade away and a very nice baby hook in the lane. He could stand to add a few more moves he can rely on constantly, but same can be said for every HS kid. He is almost automatic with his jumper out to college three-point line, but he needs to improve his quickness off the dribble to become a great big man. He is very quick on his feet, but at the next level he will have to step it up. Blatche also has great handles for a kid his size, which in some cases helps him get around other much slower big men. The thing I love most about Andray, however, is his great passing skill. He senses double teams and can find the open guy seven out of ten times. He is very advanced in that particular area. You shouldn’t assume that Blatche got through his school using his jump shot only, because that is not the case at all. The HS All-Star games featured him in the post almost every play, where he absolutely took it to the opposing team. Blatche is also gifted with the ability to jump up very quickly, giving him an advantage in shooting over the guy defending him. This ability also makes it extremely hard for the opposing team to stop him from snagging offensive and defensive rebounds. Andray has the ability to fly down court, which is great for any fast break team. Blatche was 6'11'' last time he was measured. However, it is believed he may have grown to be 7'0 by now. If he can put on some bulk and improve his game in the post, he has a chance to be a great NBA player. Howard and Blatche would finally put the pieces of the Magic frontcourt together. I think he possesses everything in a big man the Magic need: the speed, the quickness, offensive and defensive skills, and amazing rebounding and shot blocking abilities.
Think back at some of the recent great teams. The Spurs won it all in 2003. They did that because of the twin towers of David Robinson and Tim Duncan. The Pistons won it all the following season, and a huge reason for that were Rasheed and Ben Wallace. A lot of teams can have good guard and wing players, but often times, the ''bigs'' are the most important piece. Look at the Suns of this season for example: Steve Nash the MVP of the league, Quentin Richardson, Joe Johnson, and Shawn Marion led a loaded assortment of wingmen, but it was Amare as the only true big on that team that stepped it up in the playoffs, and it's not a coincidence they're out of them. Tim Duncan has been able to get to the Finals because of the two seven footers, Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr giving him some decent help. Yes, the Spurs would likely be there without them, but they have three nice bigs nonetheless.
Looking at this Magic roster, the backcourt is solidified. Steve Francis and Jameer Nelson can more than handle the PG position. Hedo and Hill have the SF spot set. Deshawn has proven himself to be a very reliable scorer time and time again at the 2 position. Using the trade assets the Magic posses, it shouldn’t be a problem to pick up another SG, should it be deemed necessary. The Magic also own two second round picks, with which they could perhaps snag Francisco Garcia, Julius Hodge, Rashad McCants, Louis Williams, Monta Ellis, or Will Bynum. With all that said, what does this team need? Another big man to grow alongside Dwight Howard and lead this franchise to the promise land. Two young guns holding down the frontcourt for the next 20 years is a very pleasant thought.
How would Dwight and Blatche co-exist with one another in the paint? They both compliment each others games, so it shouldn’t be hard. Both players can shoot, so you're not going to have two guys who need to be within seven feet of the basket clogging up the paint. Having two solid offensive post players will open up some doubles for the other man. However, the area I think this duo would succeed the most at is on the other side of the court. These guys are straight up athletes, both with big hops, which enable them to get off the floor quick. Imagine having your C and PF contesting every single shot that went up and challenging for every single loose ball. Andray is a great help out defender as well, and if Dwight knows in his head that if his man gets by him, somehow Blatche is going to be right there, that would make playing defense a lot easier.
Finally, why take another HS kid over the assortment of wingmen and other talented bigs in this draft? You'd know if you just read this…
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