After an up and down rookie season, Mario Hezonja showed flashes of his sky-high potential. Obviously, a year is an extremely short time to judge a team’s draft pick, but with all things considered the Magic seem to have made the right choice by selecting the Croatian with the fifth pick last year.
Heading into the draft, Hezonja was a mystery. The 20-year-old had highlight-filled tape. Displaying tremendous range, rim-rattling dunks and a knack for passing the ball. However, as is the case for many European NBA prospects, there were a ton of question marks.
On the defensive side of the ball, scouts were concerned about who he could guard.