Rounding up the draft grades for the Orlando Magic's selection of Jase Richardson
Most analysts are high on the Magic's selected of Richardson deep in the first round.
We now know where Jase Richardson will be playing basketball next season. The Michigan State basketball star was selected deep in the first round by the Orlando Magic, going at No. 25 overall after being considered a potential lottery pick through the process.
Personally, I think this was a great pick by Orlando, and I said as much in my piece analyzing the fit. I didn't give it a grade, but if I did, I'd give it an A. But how are other media outlets looking at the selection? Below, we rounded up several draft grades and analysis from around the NBA media landscape.
USA TODAY
Grade: B
At one point during the draft process, Michigan State's Jase Richardson was a projected lottery pick and the Magic got him at No. 25.
Yahoo! Sports
Grade: A+
Richardson ends up with the same team his father, Jason Richardson, played a chunk of his career for. The younger Richardson is a skilled combo guard with a lethal midrange game and a poised pick-and-roll feel, looking like he downloaded the experience of his NBA veteran father. Jase didn't inherit his father's height or dunk contest athleticism, though, so his smaller stature could cap his upside.
Bleacher Report
Grade: A-
The Magic waited way longer than necessary to address their obvious deep-range deficiencies, but maybe their patience will be rewarded. While they paid a premium to acquire Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies, he looks like a perfect fit for this roster.
Jase Richardson looks like another need-filler and a legitimate bargain at this point of the draft. There are some questions about his physical tools, but those were accounted for and then some by getting him this far removed from the lottery.
Richardson may not have the height (6'1") or anti-gravity bounce of his father, two-time Dunk Contest champion Jason Richardson, but he shows the on-court awareness of the son of a former pro. He almost always plays hard and smart, and he showcases soft touch from everywhere. And the way he deftly handled a late-season expansion in his role suggests he has more creation and playmaking than he was able to show under Michigan State's notoriously youth-averse head coach, Tom Izzo.
Richardson's lack of size could be an issue, though. He'll be targeted on the defensive end, and his ceiling will drop a bit if he can't harness the handles needed to operate as a primary playmaker at some point.
NBC Sports
Grade: A-
This is a quality pick this late in the first round and a good fit with the roster. Jase is the son of 13-year NBA veteran Jason Richardson, but nobody is going to confuse the two on the court. Jase is a smaller point guard who plays with pace, has a great feel for the game and can get into the lane and break down defenses. He's undersized, which raises defensive concerns, but he can be a quality reserve guard for the Magic and potentially develop into more.
CBS Sports
Grade: B+
The Magic needed backcourt depth and floor spacing with shooting after the Desmond Bane trade. Richardson checks both boxes. He scores in many different spots and did so with efficiency. He even finished well at the rim despite his size. He can play on and off the ball and score at various levels, but he was smaller than expected at the combine. He's just under 6-1, so being a combo guard at that size is going to be tough at the NBA level. Can he develop into a point guard?
The Athletic
Grade: NA
Richardson's size is a concern for somebody who won't be able to play point guard full time on offense, but this is a nearly perfect roster fit for him. Richardson can play off the ball in Orlando because Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero have the rock, and his ability to knock down shots will be a big help to an Orlando team that struggled mightily from outside a year ago. I had Richardson 14th on my board; he doesn't have enormous upside, but he might be able to play right away.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.
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