NBA Mock Draft: Orlando Magic Select Tyler Ennis From Syracuse

NBA Mock Draft Pick #12 -- Tyler Ennis, Guard, Syracuse

SB Nation's Magic blog Orlando Pinstriped Post explains the pick:

With the 12th pick in the 2014 SB Nation NBA Mock Draft, the Orlando Magic select Tyler Ennis from Syracuse University.

The Magic need talent at nearly every position, but perhaps no need of theirs is more pressing than point guard. Jameer Nelson turns 33 in February and has served the Magic well in his 10 seasons, but the team needs to usher in a new era with a new lead guard. Victor Oladipo, the runner-up for Rookie of the Year honors in 2013/14, showed promise in his first NBA season, but didn't show enough to inspire confidence that he'll one day be able to play the point at a full-time basis.

With Orlando unlikely to spend big on a point in free agency, it needed to address that deficiency via the Draft. At no. 12, Ennis stands as the best pure ballhandler and playmaker on the board. He finished with an assist-to-turnover ratio of better than 3:1, an almost unheard-of figure for a freshman, let alone one playing for a prestigious school in one of the nation's top conferences. Though he'll likely need a season or two of mentoring before he's ready to log heavy minutes at the NBA level, Ennis will have a terrific tutor in Nelson and a solid pick-and-roll partner in Nikola Vučević.

The Magic also considered Nik Stauskas and Gary Harris with this pick in order to address their need for outside shooting.

More: Full NBA Draft Coverage

1 Cleveland Cavaliers: ANDREW WIGGINS 
2 Milwaukee Bucks JABARI PARKER
3 Philadelphia 76ers DANTE EXUM
4 Orlando Magic JULIUS RANDLE
5 Utah Jazz JOEL EMBIID
6 Minnesota Timberwolves (Via Celtics) AARON GORDON
7 Los Angeles Lakers NOAH VONLEH
8 Philadelphia 76ers (via Kings) DARIO SARIC
9 Charlotte Hornets DOUG MCDERMOTT
10 Chicago Bulls (via 76ers) MARCUS SMART
11 Denver Nuggets ZACH LAVINE 
12 Orlando Magic TYLER ENNIS
13 Minnesota Timberwolves
14 Phoenix Suns
15 Atlanta Hawks
16 Chicago Bulls
17 Boston Celtics
18 Phoenix Suns
19 Chicago Bulls
20 Toronto Raptors
21 Oklahoma City Thunder
22 Memphis Grizzlies
23 Utah Jazz
24 Charlotte Hornets
25 Houston Rockets
26 Miami Heat
27 Phoenix Suns
28 Los Angeles Clippers
29 Oklahoma City Thunder
30 San Antonio Spurs