“(Drafting) Paolo gives you the most complete player coming in.”
— anonymous NBA scout to Yahoo.com
Jonathan Givony of ESPN’s DraftExpress reported the Orlando Magic have plans to interview and workout Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith and Paolo Banchero. When given the opportunity to workout the guys they want, it consistently leads to positive results after draft night. Draft picks like Franz Wagner have proven to us that the Magic front office knows what they’re doing when it comes to scouting, and now they have every option on the table. While some can point out the struggles of Jalen Suggs and Mo Bamba, in both of these situations the front office didn’t hold pre-draft workouts for them. They were selected on a best player available basis, as not many analysts expected Bamba to fall to 6 and Suggs to fall to 5. Now with three polarizing big man prospects headlining the draft, they’re in for a nice deal of homework and fans should have complete faith they’ll make the right call.
To myself and a select few group of Magic fans, Banchero would be the best name to hear selected by Orlando when the Magic announce their selection on the 2022 NBA Draft. The score-first big man doesn’t back down from anything, putting on a show during this past college basketball season and especially turning up the voltage during the NCAA tournament—leading Duke to a Final Four appearance.
Physically dominant. 6’10”. 250 lbs. Passes like a guard, creates like a wing, dunks like a center. There’s not many prospects this versatile in NBA history, let alone in this draft class.
Many are familiar with the infamous 2017 top three prospects, in which star scoring forward Jayson Tatum fell to Boston after they traded back. Some Magic fans fear that the same mistake might be made this year by passing on Paolo Banchero. Banchero played under the helm of Duke basketball legend Coach K, and alongside four potential first round picks in Trevor Keels, Wendell Moore Jr., Mark Williams, and Adrian Griffin. It cannot be undersold how impressive it is to average 17.2 points a game as a forward under a guard-oriented Duke offense loaded with talent— Paolo Banchero is the real deal. The main selling points of Banchero have already been expressed in multiple ways that I’m sure most readers have seen by now, to the tune of “The Magic need a go-to scorer!” “He’s got an NBA-ready body!”
There’s way more to Paolo’s case to be selected with the 1st pick than those tired conclusions. Let’s go more in depth with Banchero’s scouting report and see why selecting him would be a home run for the Magic.
Paolo has often received comparisons to post oriented, semi-athletic power forwards to the likes of Tobias Harris and Blake Griffin. What sets Banchero apart from one dimensional players such as those stated, is his increased versatility in nearly every aspect of the game. As basketball continues to evolve, so do its players at each position—for instance the introduction of the Evan Mobley/Chet Holmgren subtype of big men. Prospects at each position have had to play catch up with the current NBA style and sometimes, certain prospects fall behind in this race. Two good examples of this would be Dennis Smith Jr. and Jahlil Okafor. Smith Jr. and Okafor both came into the league as highly touted prospects who had mastered many traditional aspects of the game for their relative position—Okafor was an elite post scorer with sweet rim touch and Smith Jr. was a gifted athlete in the transition.
The downfall of these two talented young players was their inability to adapt to what the modern NBA demanded of their position. Okafor failed to stretch the floor, and Smith failed to develop a consistent jumpshot. Paolo should be safe from falling victim to this pitfall, as after careful analysis of his game, we can tell he fits a mold that’s already taken the league by storm (and a mold Magic fans are familiar with) known as the point forward. Exhibit A? Franz Wagner. Paolo’s ability to handle the ball well and facilitate at 6’10” not only adds to the Magic loaded arsenal of ball handlers, but it takes the load off for the guards who are in need of developing an off-ball game. The addition of Banchero would make for one of the most talented pass-heavy frontcourts in the league. The combined passing IQ and fluidity of a Franz-Paolo-Wendell offense would be a sight to see. Can you imagine what that string of forwards could accomplish with Markelle leading the charge?
Next let’s take a look at what makes him such an effective shot creator. He utilizes a jab step similar to that of fellow top-3 prospect Jabari Smith Jr except Banchero flaunts a more stable and controlled dribble to get to his spot, oftentimes breaking out a stunning post spin and leaping off two near the rim. Banchero’s jump shooting ability is also severely underrated. He has a tantalizing pull-up game, brandishing a silky smooth mid range touch that shows promise towards his ability to grow as a three-point shooter (only shooting 33.4% this past season). While one of the few major knocks on his game are the inconsistencies from three point land, there’s plenty of reason to believe he’ll be a positive on that end of the floor once he begins development with an NBA staff.
What also contributes to Paolo’s creation ability that we’re all told about is his footwork. More specifically, his elite post positioning matched with his physicality propels him to the ideal “dunker’s spot” and often leads to a rim-rocking jam. There’s been moments throughout the season that, although I’m not comparing the two, it feels like watching Duke’s Zion Williamson thanks to his pure physical dominance in the low post. Stealing rebounds, jumping off two feet and throwing it down like a mini-Shaq… Orlando is in desperate need of that flare and power to get the city rocking.
Paolo enters the NBA as a big name prospect out of Duke who recently became the first college player to be put into NBA 2K and he is sure to drive popularity and influence social media’s desire to cover the Orlando Magic. And while marketing isn’t exactly a tangible factor when considering who to draft first overall, it certainly goes a long way if you draft the guy who is poised to be plastered all over SportsCenter. Look at the wonders it has done for the Memphis Grizzlies; formally a lesser known, unrespected small market, the Grizzlies have seen their popularity around the association skyrocket in a matter of months thanks to Ja Morant. There’s not a single week of the NBA season where we haven’t seen at least one Ja Morant highlight clip. Out of the consensus top 3 prospects, Paolo Banchero has the best chance at becoming the catalyst between the Orlando Magic and mainstream media.
Truthfully, you really can’t lose in this draft position. Orlando is in the most comfortable spot of the entire lottery, as they have been on the clock since lottery night and doing their due diligence with every prospect at the top. In a recent podcast with Bart & Hahn, Orlando Magic General Manager, John Hammond, stated the Magic like “long, lanky guys.” He also added that “in today’s game, multi-positional players are so important.” Immediately the fanbase assumed it’d instantly be Chet or Jabari due to these comments, but it’d be foolish to say they ruled out Paolo (you know, the 6’10” guy who can bring the ball up the floor and has A++ wingspan).
Come draft night, here’s to hoping the city of Orlando and its fans hear Paolo Banchero’s name get called when the Orlando’s pick is finally announced.
