Analyzing Michigan State star Jase Richardson's fit with the Orlando Magic

It's official. Michigan State basketball's freshman scoring machine Jase Richardson is heading to the Orlando Magic, who selected him No. 25 overall in the 2025 NBA draft. While that might be a little later than some people predicted for Richardson, I think for him, it was more about the right fit than going high in the draft, and I think Orlando is just about the perfect fit for Jase. Below, we analyzed the potential fit and outlook for Jase Richardson in Orlando.

As soon as Richardson entered the NBA draft process, I had identified Orlando as the most logical and best fit for his skill set. The Magic were the worst three-point shooting team in the NBA last year. Even if Jase maxes out as an off-ball three-point shooter in the NBA, he would still be a valuable rotation player for the Magic. However, if he hits his ceiling as a true lead point guard in the NBA, there could even be an opportunity for him to end up as the starting point guard for the Magic someday, as Orlando's current starting point guard, Jalen Suggs, plays better off the ball.

At the very least, Jase will almost certainly be able to get some minutes at point guard, something he said he wants to do in the NBA, as the Magic will need to replace the minutes they were getting from Cole Anthony, their backup point guard, who the team just traded to Memphis as part of the Desmond Bane deal.

The biggest reason, at least that we know about, that Jase slid a little in the draft is his size. 6-foot-1 is on the small side for NBA players, and there were concerns about his defense. Personally, I think these were a little unfounded, as we saw plenty of examples of the long-armed Richardson guarding bigger defenders at Michigan State, but, if Jase is a bit flawed on defense, Orlando is more than capable of covering up for those issues as they are one of the best defensive teams in the league.

In summation, I think Jase Richardson found the perfect landing spot in the NBA in Orlando. He will have an opportunity to play minutes this upcoming season, and if he hits his ceiling, he could have a huge role on this team moving forward.

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Analyzing Jase Richardson's fit with the Orlando Magic