Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman seemed giddy when he approached the stage following the Magic’s draft in June. Sure, he got one of the players he prized in this loaded draft in taking Mohamed Bamba.
But his quick quip as he went to the dais, “Long night, long players,” revealed something else about the night. When he was asked about his first second-round pick in Melvin Frazier, he said Frazier was a player they had rated much higher on their board. This was someone who fit exactly the kind of team the Magic wanted to build.