I am sold on Banchero for #1 pick.

[IllMagic04]

Paolo Banchero is an elite Paul Porter PA name. Like pantheon good.

I’d be fine with Jabari or Paolo at #1 at this point.
There is a Tatum-Carmelo alpha scorer path for him.

You can toss out “Tatum-Carmelo” as a mold for him to follow but if you are expecting anything close to their level in the NBA you are in for great disappointment.

His shooting numbers across the board in college are far below what they did in college. He is a one dimensional player and he is NOT efficient enough at it to be considered an elite prospect like those two.

Except Banchero is more efficient than Carmelo was by EVERY metric, even true shooting (looking at you Knightro :p). He is also better playmaker than both of them and bigger. I dont know what you mean by one dimensional. Jabari Smith has one dimensional offense and Chet is more versatile but not a creator.

I think Banchero has the most room to grow physically. He said he was on olimpic level in long jump before his growth spurt. There is a lot of adjusting to his monstrous body. He can lose some weight thats true but still he was better iso defender than Jabari.

I don't know if I'd go that far but his iso defense was pretty good. This needs to be highlighted cause I think alot of people just lay blanket statements that his defense is bad. His issue defensively is on actions and off ball stuff. I saw a bunch of times where on pick and roll actions the PG just blew right by him cause he was late to react. I really think he can get better there. The off ball stuff is going to take some time. He just looked a bit lost a lot of times. I think he can get there but his first 2 years I'm def expecting some wtf moments on off ball defense.

[zaymon]

You can toss out “Tatum-Carmelo” as a mold for him to follow but if you are expecting anything close to their level in the NBA you are in for great disappointment.

His shooting numbers across the board in college are far below what they did in college. He is a one dimensional player and he is NOT efficient enough at it to be considered an elite prospect like those two.

Except Banchero is more efficient than Carmelo was by EVERY metric, even true shooting (looking at you Knightro :p). He is also better playmaker than both of them and bigger. I dont know what you mean by one dimensional. Jabari Smith has one dimensional offense and Chet is more versatile but not a creator.

I think Banchero has the most room to grow physically. He said he was on olimpic level in long jump before his growth spurt. There is a lot of adjusting to his monstrous body. He can lose some weight thats true but still he was better iso defender than Jabari.

I don't know if I'd go that far but his iso defense was pretty good. This needs to be highlighted cause I think alot of people just lay blanket statements that his defense is bad. His issue defensively is on actions and off ball stuff. I saw a bunch of times where on pick and roll actions the PG just blew right by him cause he was late to react. I really think he can get better there. The off ball stuff is going to take some time. He just looked a bit lost a lot of times. I think he can get there but his first 2 years I'm def expecting some wtf moments on off ball defense.

Banchero allowe 0,459 ppp
Smith allowed 0,464 ppp

Not by much but Banchero was better iso defender.

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Yes he has some awareness issues which are scary but his ceiling is propably even higher in switching defense where rotations are simpler.

[jezzerinho]

This kid has exemplary footwork, but too often he neglects to use it on D, esp off ball. That clip shows what happens when he puts the footwork to use. He just needs to do it more often.

I'm warming up to him with our pick tho. The defensive side is a bit scary for me still.

[MagicFan101]

Someone on here was trying to sell a Tatum / Melo comp for Paolo and I just don’t see that at all.

I have read David West / Carlos Boozer comps in scouting reports and that sounds far more accurate to me. West and Boozer were both NBA All-Stars so these are quality pros but this is a far less exciting comp for the modern NBA.

Paolo just doesn’t excite me. I’m sure he will be a net positive for someone but I’m not touching him at #1.

[IllMagic04]

Someone on here was trying to sell a Tatum / Melo comp for Paolo and I just don’t see that at all.

I have read David West / Carlos Boozer comps in scouting reports and that sounds far more accurate to me. West and Boozer were both NBA All-Stars so these are quality pros but this is a far less exciting comp for the modern NBA.

Paolo just doesn’t excite me. I’m sure he will be a net positive for someone but I’m not touching him at #1.

I dunno why people keep giving these kinda comps. There is an element to his game similar to the names you mentioned but your completely ignoring the playmaking and ISO scoring element of his game. Paolo has 3 level scoring upside that neither of those guys had. Go watch some film of him and look at the ability to create offense and ask you self if that looks anything like Boozer or West.

[MagicFan101]

Someone on here was trying to sell a Tatum / Melo comp for Paolo and I just don’t see that at all.

I have read David West / Carlos Boozer comps in scouting reports and that sounds far more accurate to me. West and Boozer were both NBA All-Stars so these are quality pros but this is a far less exciting comp for the modern NBA.

Paolo just doesn’t excite me. I’m sure he will be a net positive for someone but I’m not touching him at #1.

I dunno why people keep giving these kinda comps. There is an element to his game similar to the names you mentioned but your completely ignoring the playmaking and ISO scoring element of his game. Paolo has 3 level scoring upside that neither of those guys had. Go watch some film of him and look at the ability to create offense and ask you self if that looks anything like Boozer or West.

I have watched plenty of film on him since learning our draft status and I followed Duke closely during the season as I am an ACC fan.

It’s not there. If it here he would not be the throw in #3 after to two guys expected to go ahead of him in a “weak draft.”


Again, keep some perspective here. We’re still talking about him being a virtual lock for a top 3 pick and comparing him to NBA All-Stars while all agreeing he will have a very good career. No one here is suggesting he is a bad prospect. Had our luck not been so fortunate I he would be a prime target. But at #1 we have better options.

[IllMagic04]

Someone on here was trying to sell a Tatum / Melo comp for Paolo and I just don’t see that at all.

I have read David West / Carlos Boozer comps in scouting reports and that sounds far more accurate to me. West and Boozer were both NBA All-Stars so these are quality pros but this is a far less exciting comp for the modern NBA.

Paolo just doesn’t excite me. I’m sure he will be a net positive for someone but I’m not touching him at #1.

I dunno why people keep giving these kinda comps. There is an element to his game similar to the names you mentioned but your completely ignoring the playmaking and ISO scoring element of his game. Paolo has 3 level scoring upside that neither of those guys had. Go watch some film of him and look at the ability to create offense and ask you self if that looks anything like Boozer or West.

I have watched plenty of film on him since learning our draft status and I followed Duke closely during the season as I am an ACC fan.

It’s not there. If it here he would not be the throw in #3 after to two guys expected to go ahead of him in a “weak draft.”


Again, keep some perspective here. We’re still talking about him being a virtual lock for a top 3 pick and comparing him to NBA All-Stars while all agreeing he will have a very good career. No one here is suggesting he is a bad prospect. Had our luck not been so fortunate I he would be a prime target. But at #1 we have better options.

I respect your opinion but I just think your comps are way off. If you wanna say Boozer/Randle mixed with Melo light with playmaking upside I can roll with that. But you cant just ignore those parts of his game. If all his game was just over powering guys Id agree with you. Also just cause alot mocks got him 3 doesn't mean it goes down that way on draft night. Ive seen multiple draft people having him as the number 1 prospect. Hoop intelect has him number 1. Its not unanimous like your making it seem. I also don't agree that this is a weak draft.

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[D12VCMagic]

Someone on here was trying to sell a Tatum / Melo comp for Paolo and I just don’t see that at all.

I have read David West / Carlos Boozer comps in scouting reports and that sounds far more accurate to me. West and Boozer were both NBA All-Stars so these are quality pros but this is a far less exciting comp for the modern NBA.

Paolo just doesn’t excite me. I’m sure he will be a net positive for someone but I’m not touching him at #1.

Honestly, comparing him to Carmelo is not the W some people think it is. No team ever came close to building anything special around Carmelo. His ISO ball style of play is pretty outdated in today’s NBA as well.

Plus as I’ve said before, Paolo will not help with any sort of spacing problems we have. We have no elite shooters in the backcourt and Franz may be the only plus shooter from outside in the young core. I think the lack of spacing will not be a good fit for Paolo’s style of play and it won’t help with guards like Suggs and Fultz who struggle to hit outside shots. I really don’t want to waste another rebuild on players who don’t space the floor again. If we seriously make the same mistake twice I’m going to vomit.

[Ralof]

Well,banchero defensive problems are really the last thing should worry anyone.

If the guy would be that good on offense,melo/griffin type of ability on offence,would be #1 pick without any debate.

but concerns are there,not that good of an outside shooter,not a really explosive athlete,motor and shot selection not at super level

what really excite me of his game,is the passing and playmaking ability;that could really open amazing possibilities in nba for him

[Nyce_1]

Someone on here was trying to sell a Tatum / Melo comp for Paolo and I just don’t see that at all.

I have read David West / Carlos Boozer comps in scouting reports and that sounds far more accurate to me. West and Boozer were both NBA All-Stars so these are quality pros but this is a far less exciting comp for the modern NBA.

Paolo just doesn’t excite me. I’m sure he will be a net positive for someone but I’m not touching him at #1.

I dunno why people keep giving these kinda comps. There is an element to his game similar to the names you mentioned but your completely ignoring the playmaking and ISO scoring element of his game. Paolo has 3 level scoring upside that neither of those guys had. Go watch some film of him and look at the ability to create offense and ask you self if that looks anything like Boozer or West.

I have watched plenty of film on him since learning our draft status and I followed Duke closely during the season as I am an ACC fan.

It’s not there. If it here he would not be the throw in #3 after to two guys expected to go ahead of him in a “weak draft.”


Again, keep some perspective here. We’re still talking about him being a virtual lock for a top 3 pick and comparing him to NBA All-Stars while all agreeing he will have a very good career. No one here is suggesting he is a bad prospect. Had our luck not been so fortunate I he would be a prime target. But at #1 we have better options.

I agree with you. I've gone back and watched several duke FULL GAMES. I can't come around on Paolo. I hope we don't draft him; but if we do, I trust WeHam.

[MagicFan101]

I dunno why people keep giving these kinda comps. There is an element to his game similar to the names you mentioned but your completely ignoring the playmaking and ISO scoring element of his game. Paolo has 3 level scoring upside that neither of those guys had. Go watch some film of him and look at the ability to create offense and ask you self if that looks anything like Boozer or West.

I have watched plenty of film on him since learning our draft status and I followed Duke closely during the season as I am an ACC fan.

It’s not there. If it here he would not be the throw in #3 after to two guys expected to go ahead of him in a “weak draft.”


Again, keep some perspective here. We’re still talking about him being a virtual lock for a top 3 pick and comparing him to NBA All-Stars while all agreeing he will have a very good career. No one here is suggesting he is a bad prospect. Had our luck not been so fortunate I he would be a prime target. But at #1 we have better options.

I agree with you. I've gone back and watched several duke FULL GAMES. I can't come around on Paolo. I hope we don't draft him; but if we do, I trust WeHam.

I truly can’t see a path where WeHam select him #1 overall above the other options on the table. It just doesn’t fit in any scenario. Fit, needs, their draft history … none of it makes sense.

Jabari Smith makes more and more sense the more I explore the prospects. It’s easy to look at go-go-gadget Chet as he’s their type but Jabari has length as well along with the shooting and defense we covet at far less risk of never filling out.

Unless we pull off a superb trade out of the #1 pick while still landing inside the top #3, I don’t feel Paolo is even a name to take seriously Orlando. Even then, it could just be a fleecing of OKC for #2 + #12 where they get Chet and we still get the guy we want in Smith much like Boston did to Philly in the Fultz / Tatum deal.

[fateis007]

I have watched plenty of film on him since learning our draft status and I followed Duke closely during the season as I am an ACC fan.

It’s not there. If it here he would not be the throw in #3 after to two guys expected to go ahead of him in a “weak draft.”


Again, keep some perspective here. We’re still talking about him being a virtual lock for a top 3 pick and comparing him to NBA All-Stars while all agreeing he will have a very good career. No one here is suggesting he is a bad prospect. Had our luck not been so fortunate I he would be a prime target. But at #1 we have better options.

I agree with you. I've gone back and watched several duke FULL GAMES. I can't come around on Paolo. I hope we don't draft him; but if we do, I trust WeHam.

I truly can’t see a path where WeHam select him #1 overall above the other options on the table. It just doesn’t fit in any scenario. Fit, needs, their draft history … none of it makes sense.

Jabari Smith makes more and more sense the more I explore the prospects. It’s easy to look at go-go-gadget Chet as he’s their type but Jabari has length as well along with the shooting and defense we covet at far less risk of never filling out.

Unless we pull off a superb trade out of the #1 pick while still landing inside the top #3, I don’t feel Paolo is even a name to take seriously Orlando. Even then, it could just be a fleecing of OKC for #2 + #12 where they get Chet and we still get the guy we want in Smith much like Boston did to Philly in the Fultz / Tatum deal.

I don't agree. We had the second to worst offensive rating of all 30 teams last year. We haven't even been in the top 20 since dwight left. That isn't just because we lack a jump shooter or some elite 3-D player, that is lack of offensive ability and creativity. Not lack of a 6'11 Terrence ross bombing away all game.

I see Banchero as a guy you can groom to be an Alpha scorer. He isn't some stiff PF, people keep trying to pretend he is. He plays much more like a guard/sf then most here are giving him credit for. He is very explosive with the ball, has a tight handle, great court vision, a great spin game when driving into the point, can run/complete a fast break, score in isolation , run high screen and rolls at either end(and actually do more then just score with them, throw lobs, drop offs, find shooters). And all that without considering that he is a 250LB low post player who can post up on mismatches, and he has a lot of the same moves that guards do and "unicorns". His release/shot look fine and he is out there doing the same euro steps at his size that Franz is doing. Franz isn't the fastest or most explosive player on the team, but he has a TIGHT handle. I am sorry but hoping someone develops one at #1 is nuts at this point. No more projects, we have plenty.

Everyone keeps talking about him like he is some terrible defensive presence when he is not. Opponents weren't scoring on him anymore then they were Jabari, they were almost tied statistically by pts scored on. He just doesn't have the all around defensive game yet. He is far from a liability.

We have literally drafted for defensive potential multiple years in a row with top picks, and it has lead us to being the worst offense in the NBA. It's time to bring bucket getters/alphas on this team.

Anyone who watched an entire season of us playing can see how easy we were to defend. It was almost comical to watch teams lock down on us in the second half of games, even when we had huge leads.

Having big time defensive players is a major asset, but not when you can't surround them with big time scorers. Celtics have amazing defense right now, with a ton of great defensive specialist. But at the end of of the day, they have 2 players dropping 25PPG on great efficiency that are extremely good ball handlers.

Who is that guy for us?

[KillMonger]

Someone on here was trying to sell a Tatum / Melo comp for Paolo and I just don’t see that at all.

I have read David West / Carlos Boozer comps in scouting reports and that sounds far more accurate to me. West and Boozer were both NBA All-Stars so these are quality pros but this is a far less exciting comp for the modern NBA.

Paolo just doesn’t excite me. I’m sure he will be a net positive for someone but I’m not touching him at #1.

Honestly, comparing him to Carmelo is not the W some people think it is. No team ever came close to building anything special around Carmelo. His ISO ball style of play is pretty outdated in today’s NBA as well.

Plus as I’ve said before, Paolo will not help with any sort of spacing problems we have. We have no elite shooters in the backcourt and Franz may be the only plus shooter from outside in the young core. I think the lack of spacing will not be a good fit for Paolo’s style of play and it won’t help with guards like Suggs and Fultz who struggle to hit outside shots. I really don’t want to waste another rebuild on players who don’t space the floor again. If we seriously make the same mistake twice I’m going to vomit.

It is a w when you see how underrated banchero is as a passer and he's a willing passer....Melo was a great passer but not sure he was always a willing one....I remember George Karl saying if Melo wanted to he could average like 8-10 assist a game because of his iq and passing ability he would display every now and again....he just didn't want to....now even with that said Carmelo is a high bar man...it's a tough ask for anybody to live up to that kind of a player

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[basketballRob]

I would take Paolo 2nd but I don't think he likes OKC.

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[Xtruroyaltyx77]

Someone on here was trying to sell a Tatum / Melo comp for Paolo and I just don’t see that at all.

I have read David West / Carlos Boozer comps in scouting reports and that sounds far more accurate to me. West and Boozer were both NBA All-Stars so these are quality pros but this is a far less exciting comp for the modern NBA.

Paolo just doesn’t excite me. I’m sure he will be a net positive for someone but I’m not touching him at #1.

David West and Boozer are bad comparisons imo.

You can legit give the ball to Paolo up top and allow him to run the offense. He is a guy who can run the break like a pg.

Booze and West’s game was nothing like Banchero. Banchero is closer to Lebron in terms of play style.

[pepe1991]

Someone on here was trying to sell a Tatum / Melo comp for Paolo and I just don’t see that at all.

I have read David West / Carlos Boozer comps in scouting reports and that sounds far more accurate to me. West and Boozer were both NBA All-Stars so these are quality pros but this is a far less exciting comp for the modern NBA.

Paolo just doesn’t excite me. I’m sure he will be a net positive for someone but I’m not touching him at #1.

David West and Boozer are bad comparisons imo.

You can legit give the ball to Paolo up top and allow him to run the offense. He is a guy who can run the break like a pg.

Booze and West’s game was nothing like Banchero. Banchero is closer to Lebron in terms of play style.

He won't be running nba offense, if team's goal is anything but srong tanking.

He is more like Scottie Barnes. They can pass well... For big.
They have clear idea where their teammate should be and their passes make logical sense. But it's far cry from "running offense". It's just buzzword for scouts to hype those players.

Paolo is more polished than Barnes, has better feeling for game, but also less athletic and less physical when he drives at rim. And less willing defender. So i expect similar impact.

Anyhow, you can't just give ball to Bancher and let him "work". Or that play would be rather similar to i don't know, Siakam running PG, simplistic high pick&roll, him attacking big off the dribble or big man rolling. To me that's not "running offense", that's play every basketball veteran, even recreative baller is good at. Running offense means being able to involve whole team, call plays, set action, set pace, keep people invovled.

[fateis007]

Someone on here was trying to sell a Tatum / Melo comp for Paolo and I just don’t see that at all.

I have read David West / Carlos Boozer comps in scouting reports and that sounds far more accurate to me. West and Boozer were both NBA All-Stars so these are quality pros but this is a far less exciting comp for the modern NBA.

Paolo just doesn’t excite me. I’m sure he will be a net positive for someone but I’m not touching him at #1.

David West and Boozer are bad comparisons imo.

You can legit give the ball to Paolo up top and allow him to run the offense. He is a guy who can run the break like a pg.

Booze and West’s game was nothing like Banchero. Banchero is closer to Lebron in terms of play style.

He won't be running nba offense, if team's goal is anything but srong tanking.

He is more like Scottie Barnes. They can pass well... For big.
They have clear idea where their teammate should be and their passes make logical sense. But it's far cry from "running offense". It's just buzzword for scouts to hype those players.

Paolo is more polished than Barnes, has better feeling for game, but also less athletic and less physical when he drives at rim. And less willing defender. So i expect similar impact.

Anyhow, you can't just give ball to Bancher and let him "work". Or that play would be rather similar to i don't know, Siakam running PG, simplistic high pick&roll, him attacking big off the dribble or big man rolling. To me that's not "running offense", that's play every basketball veteran, even recreative baller is good at. Running offense means being able to involve whole team, call plays, set action, set pace, keep people invovled.

His skill sets are just a stronger foundation to be an Alpha scorer/creator, plain and simple. Not saying he is Chris Paul or some full time point guard. Just because he was doing it in small sample sizes, doesn't mean you couldn't see what he was capable of.

Did you see Franz Wagner being able to run an offense coming into the NBA? No way, but we knew he could run a high screen at 6' 11" in flashes for Michigan and had a tight handle, foot work. Those skills translated. You don't have to be insanely explosive when you're that size and can handle the ball, get to your spots.

I easily see Franz being a 20+ PPG scorer in this league and im pretty sure we took the ball out of his hands and put it in Cole's to make sure we tanked properly.

Them running a pick and roll with either being the ball handler would be a sick scoring combination and versatile.

With Jabari it wold be much more one dimentional, and with Chet, we didn't see that much of his game in college, even tho experts claim he was raised to play like a guard and grew 7 inches in a year.

[fateis007]

Watch on YouTube

[pepe1991]

David West and Boozer are bad comparisons imo.

You can legit give the ball to Paolo up top and allow him to run the offense. He is a guy who can run the break like a pg.

Booze and West’s game was nothing like Banchero. Banchero is closer to Lebron in terms of play style.

He won't be running nba offense, if team's goal is anything but srong tanking.

He is more like Scottie Barnes. They can pass well... For big.
They have clear idea where their teammate should be and their passes make logical sense. But it's far cry from "running offense". It's just buzzword for scouts to hype those players.

Paolo is more polished than Barnes, has better feeling for game, but also less athletic and less physical when he drives at rim. And less willing defender. So i expect similar impact.

Anyhow, you can't just give ball to Bancher and let him "work". Or that play would be rather similar to i don't know, Siakam running PG, simplistic high pick&roll, him attacking big off the dribble or big man rolling. To me that's not "running offense", that's play every basketball veteran, even recreative baller is good at. Running offense means being able to involve whole team, call plays, set action, set pace, keep people invovled.

His skill sets are just a stronger foundation to be an Alpha scorer/creator, plain and simple. Not saying he is Chris Paul or some full time point guard. Just because he was doing it in small sample sizes, doesn't mean you couldn't see what he was capable of.

Did you see Franz Wagner being able to run an offense coming into the NBA? No way, but we knew he could run a high screen at 6' 11" in flashes for Michigan and had a tight handle, foot work. Those skills translated. You don't have to be insanely explosive when you're that size and can handle the ball, get to your spots.

I easily see Franz being a 20+ PPG scorer in this league and im pretty sure we took the ball out of his hands and put it in Cole's to make sure we tanked properly.

Them running a pick and roll with either being the ball handler would be a sick scoring combination and versatile.

With Jabari it wold be much more one dimentional, and with Chet, we didn't see that much of his game in college, even tho experts claim he was raised to play like a guard and grew 7 inches in a year.

You can't pencil somebody who had 3,2 assists on 2,4 turnovers as playmaker.

[jezzerinho]

He won't be running nba offense, if team's goal is anything but srong tanking.

He is more like Scottie Barnes. They can pass well... For big.
They have clear idea where their teammate should be and their passes make logical sense. But it's far cry from "running offense". It's just buzzword for scouts to hype those players.

Paolo is more polished than Barnes, has better feeling for game, but also less athletic and less physical when he drives at rim. And less willing defender. So i expect similar impact.

Anyhow, you can't just give ball to Bancher and let him "work". Or that play would be rather similar to i don't know, Siakam running PG, simplistic high pick&roll, him attacking big off the dribble or big man rolling. To me that's not "running offense", that's play every basketball veteran, even recreative baller is good at. Running offense means being able to involve whole team, call plays, set action, set pace, keep people invovled.

His skill sets are just a stronger foundation to be an Alpha scorer/creator, plain and simple. Not saying he is Chris Paul or some full time point guard. Just because he was doing it in small sample sizes, doesn't mean you couldn't see what he was capable of.

Did you see Franz Wagner being able to run an offense coming into the NBA? No way, but we knew he could run a high screen at 6' 11" in flashes for Michigan and had a tight handle, foot work. Those skills translated. You don't have to be insanely explosive when you're that size and can handle the ball, get to your spots.

I easily see Franz being a 20+ PPG scorer in this league and im pretty sure we took the ball out of his hands and put it in Cole's to make sure we tanked properly.

Them running a pick and roll with either being the ball handler would be a sick scoring combination and versatile.

With Jabari it wold be much more one dimentional, and with Chet, we didn't see that much of his game in college, even tho experts claim he was raised to play like a guard and grew 7 inches in a year.

You can't pencil somebody who had 3,2 assists on 2,4 turnovers as playmaker.

Sure, but with 1-and-dones you're looking for traits every bit as much as you're looking for statistical production.

Assists are a bogus stat anyway.