Three years in a row the Orlando Magic have been knocked out of the playoffs, not just because of their lack of rebounding and poor post play, but also because they were battered at the point guard position.

In 2001 it was Sam Cassell towering over Darrell Armstrong. In 2002 it was Baron Davis overpowering Troy Hudson and Armstrong. And this past spring Detroit didn't launch its comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the series until Chauncey Billups started dominating Jacque Vaughn and Armstrong.

In Thursday's NBA Draft, the Magic directly addressed the problem at the point, adding some much-needed size to a position where they have been small for so many years.

Orlando sweated out the first hour of the draft and then got a player it had targeted weeks ago, selecting 6-foot-6, 205-pound point guard Reece Gaines with the 15th pick of the first round.

"That series against Detroit changed when Chauncey Billups takes over and we just didn't have an answer for him," Magic head coach Doc Rivers said. "(Thursday night) we improved there. Big point guards can't dominate us any more."