Fans have a terrible habit of assuming the team we have now will be the team we start competing with. I like Green and Sengun but they shouldn’t be the reason we pass on another playmaker/scorer. Likewise, KPJ shouldn’t factor in our selection of the top draft pick.
https://theathletic.com/3724807/2022/10/24/deandre-hunter-paolo-banchero-nba-week-one/ Rookie of the Week: Paolo Banchero, PF, Orlando (Note: This section won’t necessarily profile the best rookie of the week. Just the one I’ve been watching.) With the Magic visiting Atlanta on Friday, I got my first in-person look at the top pick in the draft in an NBA setting. Watching him warm up before the game, two things immediately stood out: First, that he’s getting more air under his shot than he did at Duke last March, and second, that he’s filled out even more physically. Most rookies leave you thinking, “Wow, he looked bigger in college,” once you see them against other NBA players; I had the opposite reaction when Banchero walked out of the tunnel. The Magic may want to be careful he doesn’t bulk up too much, actually; remember, Banchero doesn’t even turn 20 until next month. Banchero is the first teenager to start this career with three straight 20-point games; while he is at a modest 52.7 percent true shooting (despite making 80.8 percent from the line), I’d say the eye test on him has been mostly positive. He can really handle the ball for his size and is doing it to much greater effect than he could at Duke, and his size around the paint is allowing him to draw fouls in quantity (26 freebies in three games). He’s not a crazy leaper but will be much more dangerous once he refines his finishing package. (In particular, he’s still defaulting to using his right hand on the left side of the rim.) Orlando had him working on attacking pick-and-roll ice coverages before the game, to give you an idea of where the Magic see this thing headed. Check out this play, for instance, as Banchero grabs a rebound in traffic, pushes it the length of the court and has the vision to see the Hawks’ mismatched in transition in order to feed Wendell Carter Jr. for a dunk. Vid Subjectively, I was also encouraged by how well Banchero held up defensively. His lack of length loomed as a potential issue heading into the draft, but he’s blocked six shots in three games and hasn’t been in foul trouble. The Magic have kept him at the four and mostly eschewed lineups with him in the middle for now; one of Carter or Mo Bamba has been on the floor for all but eight minutes this season. Longer-term, it’s pretty easy to envision a Banchero-Franz Wagner frontcourt creating mismatch havoc. Bigger picture answers about role and ceiling remain to be answered. Can Banchero be an elite shot creator in the half court? Will his jumper be consistent enough to panic defenses? Who knows, but the fact we’re even asking questions like this three games into his career is a good sign.
Paolo is now at 120 points scored in 5 games. Durant clocked in second in the modern era at 113. Paolo was never ours to pick, but still feels bad being smokescreened for 3 months. Analyzing Paolo's game and falling in love.
Hindsight is 20/20, and the lottery far from an exact science, but it's incredible how often I heard people saying they'd pass on Banchero if he fell to the Rockets #3. His playmaking and ability to handle the ball would fit the Rockets like a glove.
Paolo is so damn good. Glad to see him having success from the jump and no lie im surprised a bit that he's just hit the ground running looking like a seasoned vet. Sigh what could have been.
Being close to the Orlando area it was all indication that Jabari Smith would have been the pick at number one. I would have loved to have been in that draft room the day of the draft to see what made them change their minds. Personally I would have gone with the mystery box Shadon Sharpe because as much as I liked the top 3 guys they all had flaws as well.
Rockets are on track to be saying Banchero who?? If Rockets keep up this type of performance they will be locks for a Top 3 pick again with great odds at #1 Webanyama. Banchero won't hold a candle to that guy. I'll be pissed at whatever team (not the Rockets) that lands him.
? What is your point here? You are glad the Rockets will suck because we maybe will get Webanyama? So you think Banchero would have been to good to be in the running for Webanyama so you are happy we don't have him? Banchero is looking like a Generational type guy as well and might be even better than Weby does is Weby a plus playmaker?
I don't think Banchero is going to be able to score on Wemby. He'll need to be a good passer cause he won't be able to get a shot off.
Dude, we can have at best a 14% chance at Wemby. It is pretty likely that Paolo will be better than any of Jalen, Jabari, Sengun/KPJ.
