https://www.oklahoman.com/story/spo...under-duke-blue-devils-basketball/7665980001/ Spoiler [...] Banchero was ‘go-to guy’ at Duke Chris Carrawell couldn’t keep Banchero out of the gym. “He really got in tip-top condition,” said Carrawell, Duke’s associate head coach. “Paolo is a gym rat. He’s the guy you’ve got to kick out of the gym. “A lot of these guys, they’ll play, they’ll work out, be in the gym, then they’ll go home and play video games. All day. Paolo, I’m not saying he doesn’t play video games, but he’s watching a lot too.” Carrawell said Banchero was entrenched in watching film at Duke. He compared it to the “old school” players like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird who were engrained in the routine of playing and studying. Banchero became a force wearing the Blue Devil uniform, but he might not have ever attended the university. Paired with the more than 40-hour drive from Seattle to Durham, North Carolina, and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell tour, Banchero’s career could have been overshadowed. Most recruiting experts expected him to remain close — attend Washington like his parents did and then hit the draft pool — but he wanted a challenge. “He wanted to play on the biggest stage,” said Stephen Wiseman, who has covered Duke for more than a decade at the Raleigh News and Observer. “He welcomed that.” Banchero oozes confidence. His conviction carried onto the court at Cameron Indoor. But it took time for him to become comfortable as Duke’s No. 1 scorer. Early in the season, Banchero passed up shots he needed to take. There was passivity in his play, but things quickly changed. “He started putting his shoulder into people and that frame,” Carrawell said. “He’s a big dude.” When the Blue Devils were sacrificing too many offensive rebounds in the middle of the season, there was Banchero to step up. Offensively, he became more physical, drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line. “By the end of the year, he was their go-to guy,” Wiseman said. “He wasn’t afraid to take the biggest shots and be the alpha dog on the team.” Banchero established himself as an offensive threat. He led all true freshmen in scoring in the nation, stringing together big performances and excelling at shooting at all three levels. Wiseman said the combination of Banchero’s size, paired with his ball handling and all-court play makes him unique to some former Blue Devils currently in the NBA. “He’s 6-10, 250 (pounds),” Wiseman said. “Like Zion (Williamson) was 6-7, 275 or right around there. So, he was a big guy too and he moved pretty well over the court. But Paolo was even taller. He was like a center; he could fill in and play the five sometimes if they went in what they call a ‘ball handling’ lineup.” Banchero’s skills allowed Duke to use him in a quicker scheme without sacrificing height. Instead of using 7-foot Mark Williams, the speedier Banchero rotated to center and created fast-breaks while still being physical on defense. And he thrived in the role. He scored 22 points in his first collegiate game against Kentucky in Madison Square Garden. Another 21 points against Chet Holmgren and Gonzaga. The NCAA Tournament only heightened Banchero’s performance, as he guided the Blue Devils to a Final Four berth and earned the West Region’s most outstanding player award. He tallied 22 points against Texas Tech in the Sweet 16, the swagger and confidence again were displayed as he sliced and diced through the Red Raider defense. Krzyzewski struggled to find words to explain it after the game. “I coach that guy,” he said in awe. “Holy mackerel.” How Paolo Banchero fits in the NBA Carrawell was careful when drawing NBA comparisons with Banchero. “I’m not saying he’s Jayson Tatum,” Carrawell said. “I’m not putting that into air. But (Banchero and Tatum) can create their own shots with that size.” Coincidentally, Wiseman compared the two as well. “Not to put those expectations on Paolo,” he said. “When Tatum was at Duke, he wasn’t a great 3-point shooter. He’s a much better 3-point shooter now.” Banchero’s flaws are limited, but his lack of length on defense and his 3-point shooting are often pointed to. He shot 33.8% from three, something needing to be refined with the current NBA emphasizing more deep shots. His free-throw percentage rests at an unimpressive 72.9, but Banchero makes up for it with his efficient mark from two-point range. Despite the drawbacks, draft analysts peg him as the most NBA ready prospect in the class, and Banchero can make an immediate impact with whichever team drafts him. “I think Holmgren could have a higher ceiling given his unique body type and skill set,” Wiseman said. “But he’s not a sure thing either. He’s a little bit of a gamble as opposed to Banchero who I think is going to step in right away.” Potential often gets discussed with Holmgren and Smith, but Carrawell said Banchero is the most polished prospect in the draft — despite only being 19 — but emphasized every young player drafted will still be an unfinished product. "You can post him, put him on the elbow, you can put him in the middle of the floor,” Carrawell said. “He can get the rebound, he can initiate your offense. Once that becomes more consistent, you’ve got a guy who can score at all three levels.”
I am so excited about Paolo and I want him more than any other player in the draft. Sengun/Banchero is going to be like Divac/C-Webb, baby!
Thanks JR. Always a good idea to take some of this with a grain of salt... however it does just confirm what we already knew about Paolo - gym rat. That said, all 3 seem like real gym rats. I know Chet is all bball all the time and incredibly high bball IQ. I know the least about Jabari but he seems like an incredibly smart, hard working kid as well. It's really hard to tell honestly though - if i go back and pick a random draft say 2018, and look at Bagley, Bamba, Knox.. were there any signs on any of them that from an off the court perspective they weren't "all-in"?? Not that I recall really - I do remember Bamba had some family/money issues back in NYC as he was coming into UT. I think their successes/failures since have been mostly about just overall skillset. If we are to look at Duke bigs recently - Ingram, Tatum, Bagley, Carter Jr., Zion ... obviously every player is different. Something to feel good about - most of these guys have a role, most are as good or better than expected, assuming they are on the floor. The 2 that stand out as not quite are Bagley and Carter. Bagley was INCREDIBLY good in college. He had probably the best stats of anyone, maybe Zion aside. Zion is just a freak, in a class of his own if he can stay healthy. Almost Paolo's size - not quite as tall - but maybe the best athlete in the NBA today and one of the best ever... imagine Paolo with like Vince Carter athleticism, lol. But Bagley was REALLY REALLY good. Why has he "failed"? https://bleacherreport.com/articles...018-scouting-report-for-sacramento-kings-pick "Outside of going over the shoulder, Bagley doesn't have any go-to moves, often leaning on his first step, body control and coordination. His perimeter shot-creating skill is limited, and despite the solid three-point percentage, he only made 62.7 percent of his free throws, which raises red flags about the legitimacy of his jumper. Bagley also registered a 24.4 percent turnover percentage when double-teamed in the post, and his overall 8.8 assist percentage was low for a focal point of an offense." He just used size to dominate college, without much skill. "Bagley struggled defensively most of the season, showing poor instincts when it came to making reads or contesting shots. Despite his speed and explosiveness, he only managed 1.0 blocks per 40 minutes, an unusually low number, even if he did play power forward next to Wendell Carter Jr. He has the quickness to be a switchable defender, but he'll need to improve his defensive IQ, particularly given his lack of relative length." And was regarded probably the worst defensively off all the bigs i noted above. Carter Jr. actually had more of the skills considered relevant for modern bigs. To me, he's the best comp for Jabari of the Duke bigs i mentioned above. Carter, JJJ, Jabari seem of a similar mold. But for whatever reason, Carter struggled early. Despite being a great 3 point shooter in college, he both struggled to hit them as efficiently early on in the NBA and oddly refused to take open ones at times - he was clearly in his head a bit initially. But he's slowly gotten better, and if you haven't been paying attention was REALLY REALLY REALLY good towards the end of the year in Orlando. In February he put up 18,11 and 3. In March he put up 19, 12 and 3. Now again, he's NOT a great comp for Paolo imo, and is a better comp for Jabari. For those in Jabari Jungle, its all a good sign imo - I think Jabari has more of a "killer" mindset and is FAR AND AWAY the better 3 point shooter. But Wendell has gotten surprisingly good at creation, and was/is as good a defender, imo, with a bigger wingspan. Honestly, the existence of Wendell is why my immediate thought when Orlando won the top pick was Paolo/Chet for them. Wendell and Jabari seem "the same" .... granted, two of the same really good guys isn't bad. In any case, my original thought was about mindset and work ethic. I think for the most part, most Duke guys have strong work-ethics and are gym rats. Even the crazies - Kyrie. Can't say for sure what the deal is with Zion. And with Bagley just seems like regardless of work ethic his game isn't a great fit for the modern nba. And even he got better in Detroit. But Paolo, from everything I've seen and read, seems to be as big of a gym rat as any of them. A JG like mindset - wants to be the man, supremely confident AND know it requires work. See the post RIGHT ABOVE mind about mindset and culture the Rockets are trying to build. Not sure why i wrote all the above, boredom aside!!!
Sacrilege! Blasphemy!!! Surely this coach will rot in holy hell. “I think Holmgren could have a higher ceiling given his unique body type and skill set,” Wiseman said. “But he’s not a sure thing either. He’s a little bit of a gamble as opposed to Banchero who I think is going to step in right away.”
BURN THIS SHET!!!! 3P%, FT% and advanced stats are the devil's work, do not pollute yourselves with this data. Eye test baby, we gonna get the best player and at #3 overall because the other teams are cult possessed baby killers.
If this is true, the Rockets shouldn't fall for the okeydoke. Just sit tight at 3 and take whatever's left between Chet, Paolo, or Jabari.
Sengun does not have to start to be a valuable player for the rockets, I don't know why everybody keeps thinking this way. Eason has no bearing on anything we don't even know if he is NBA caliber player let alone a starter, there are way too many guys who wash out when he will picked to be penciling him as a starter. I have no idea why people keep acting like this draft will create the foundation of this team, most of the guys on the roster will not be here in 5 years.
As soon as he's picked by Rockets then I will back him. Until then I'm undercover. Keep it on the QT.
