The Official Paolo Banchero Thread: 2022-2023 NBA Rookie of the Year

[rcklsscognition]

The body, footwork, vision, and IQ are outstanding. More than anything was looking for an alpha leader and we got one. Was a QB in football and he's going to come in and take over.

[PhilBlackson]

As an outsider trying to see things from your perspective, I really wouldn't be upset with picking Banchero at all.

I get it wanting to draft Jabari or Chet more, they do have the POTENTIAL to be better players but they're not better right now and you can call that short sighted which I guess it is to an extent but I understand your management's decision electing for more of a sure thing in Paolo. I mean how many drafts can they go into & leave with a guy that has "intriguing upside" but doesn't really pan out to a real star?! If there is any player in the top 3 that I'm confident will be a star at least at some level out of the top 3, it's Paolo and I think it was just that simple for your management.

Personally I can envision a scenario where Jabari pans out similarily to Isaac, both being good shooters (Jabari better) and defenders (Isaac better) where of course they're really good and very valuable players you still might not have a star on your hands and do I feel confident Smith will develop into a go to scorer when your team needs buckets...maybe?! I'm not so sure because his handle and footwork is fairly limited and I wouldn't just assume he'll get that. Chet of course, all of it is banking on potential and I'm even less confident he can/will be a go to scorer, he may bust entirely which would be a nightmare for your management but on the flipside likewise he could boom if he puts it together.

Point is though overall there's a lot more uncertainty that those guys will become stars. I feel with Paolo, it's not really if he will be a star but how big of one will he become?! Due to that your management likely felt like they had to come out of this draft especially 1st overall that they can't come outta there without some type of star player. It's one thing to draft a star player and another guy after just becomes a bigger one...it's another to not get one at all. Your team chose the lesser of the two evils and it shouldn't be ruled out that Banchero could still end up being the best out of all of them if he improves his defence and playmaking/passing. I think it was the smart move overall.

[tiderulz]

As an outsider trying to see things from your perspective, I really wouldn't be upset with picking Banchero at all.

I get it wanting to draft Jabari or Chet more, they do have the POTENTIAL to be better players but they're not better right now and you can call that short sighted which I guess it is to an extent but I understand your management's decision electing for more of a sure thing in Paolo. I mean how many drafts can they go into & leave with a guy that has "intriguing upside" but doesn't really pan out to a real star?! If there is any player in the top 3 that I'm confident will be a star at least at some level out of the top 3, it's Paolo and I think it was just that simple for your management.

Personally I can envision a scenario where Jabari pans out similarily to Isaac, both being good shooters (Jabari better) and defenders (Isaac better) where of course they're really good and very valuable players you still might not have a star on your hands and do I feel confident Smith will develop into a go to scorer when your team needs buckets...maybe?! I'm not so sure because his handle and footwork is fairly limited and I wouldn't just assume he'll get that. Chet of course, all of it is banking on potential and I'm even less confident he can/will be a go to scorer, he may bust entirely which would be a nightmare for your management but on the flipside likewise he could boom if he puts it together.

Point is though overall there's a lot more uncertainty that those guys will become stars. I feel with Paolo, it's not really if he will be a star but how big of one will he become?! Due to that your management likely felt like they had to come out of this draft especially 1st overall that they can't come outta there without some type of star player. It's one thing to draft a star player and another guy after just becomes a bigger one...it's another to not get one at all. Your team chose the lesser of the two evils and it shouldn't be ruled out that Banchero could still end up being the best out of all of them if he improves his defence and playmaking/passing. I think it was the smart move overall.

Paolo has upside too. people need to stop thinking that his growth stops now.

[Bigmagicfan82]

One thing that confuses me is why so many smokescreens if you are first on the clock to draft?
Did they really think Houston will give them Green to move 2 spots up? Or unprotected pick? Stone, Houston GM, has been working for nba for 17 years on top positions, he ain't fool, buying off Segun for pretty much top 18 protected pick in far future is best example that he won't get fooled by smokescreens.

It's still very confusing why Magic didn't trade down for lesser return value ( and still drafted player they wanted).
It's still unclear why create all this drama about Banchero's workout if he was going to be your first overall pick?

It's still unclear why play Jabari Smith like complete fool and have him parading around Magic arena like they signed prime Hakeem/Jordan just to play him- like a fool on draft night?
Wtf was that with printing Banchero's name on number Bamba has , as guy is still RFA and in theory "your" player. That's a guy you spent 6th overall pick on just 4 years ago.

Just very,very confusing predraft time culminated into very confusing draft night.

If you want Paolo (and obviously we did) why wouldn't you let everyone believe you wanted Jabari? That way if someone (like the rockets) want Jabari they have to trade up with you to get him. I think it was pretty obvious that the rockets ALSO preferred Paolo and that's why there wasn't a trade.

Honestly, I don't think Orlando did anything. I think what happen was a few scouts, agents, and other GM gave their opinions based on past drafts and their assessments of the team. The media ran with it because it made clicks. Orlando said nothing and let them drive the narrative. Then it became a matter of group think. As we heard Jabari more and more, mock drafts moved to Jabari, then fans started to move to Jabari, and the media moved to Jabari. In the end, it came across as left tern but it wasn't. It was a bad assumption made on poor information. Now the national media is scrambling to cover themselves so they don't lose credibility.

[Knightro]

There's really two main questions with Paolo.

-Can he consistently knock down threes?

-Can he figure out how to not be BBQ chicken defensively?

If he can do both of those things, he has a chance to be a legit star.

If he doesn't do either one... he can still be valuable, but ultimately much less so.

[yoyojw17]

dumb arguement. you dont make your pick based on if fultz can shoot a 3. like come on.

You can find some crazy highlights of Randle in high school. He had an injury is why he dropped in the draft.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

honestly i think Randle is a good comp. Except he's smaller, less explosive. Randle is a good 6'8 in shoes with a big body. Banchero is a 7 footer in shoes.

If Banchero becomes a better version of a 24/10/6 guy, I mean is anyone here really complaining?

Bigger Randle... with possible defensive upside... is a "Superstar" in my opinion.

With how much i know we do care about defense ... and the fact that they actually refer to him as a "two-way" player on few occasions during their post interview... got me pretty excited!

and yeah... paulo is at least a legit 6'10" ... with the chance to maybe add another inch on his height and wingspan before it's all said and done. Mix that with the handles ... footwork.... vision.... and athleticism ... he might be a different kind of Unicorn for us.

Was a Chet fan and figured he was also a Magic type of pick... and thought to myself IF magic picked Banchero... I would be just as happy because I would feel like they see a whole lot more potential in this player for the future.

A lineup of Fultz/Suggs/Franz/Banchero/WCJ might be one of the best young High BBIQ lineups in the league next year.

Super excited!

[yoyojw17]

As an outsider trying to see things from your perspective, I really wouldn't be upset with picking Banchero at all.

I get it wanting to draft Jabari or Chet more, they do have the POTENTIAL to be better players but they're not better right now and you can call that short sighted which I guess it is to an extent but I understand your management's decision electing for more of a sure thing in Paolo. I mean how many drafts can they go into & leave with a guy that has "intriguing upside" but doesn't really pan out to a real star?! If there is any player in the top 3 that I'm confident will be a star at least at some level out of the top 3, it's Paolo and I think it was just that simple for your management.

Personally I can envision a scenario where Jabari pans out similarily to Isaac, both being good shooters (Jabari better) and defenders (Isaac better) where of course they're really good and very valuable players you still might not have a star on your hands and do I feel confident Smith will develop into a go to scorer when your team needs buckets...maybe?! I'm not so sure because his handle and footwork is fairly limited and I wouldn't just assume he'll get that. Chet of course, all of it is banking on potential and I'm even less confident he can/will be a go to scorer, he may bust entirely which would be a nightmare for your management but on the flipside likewise he could boom if he puts it together.

Point is though overall there's a lot more uncertainty that those guys will become stars. I feel with Paolo, it's not really if he will be a star but how big of one will he become?! Due to that your management likely felt like they had to come out of this draft especially 1st overall that they can't come outta there without some type of star player. It's one thing to draft a star player and another guy after just becomes a bigger one...it's another to not get one at all. Your team chose the lesser of the two evils and it shouldn't be ruled out that Banchero could still end up being the best out of all of them if he improves his defence and playmaking/passing. I think it was the smart move overall.

Paolo has upside too. people need to stop thinking that his growth stops now.

THIS is where i think many have fallen. Less unknowns as the other two... therefore the potential part just becomes "meh" and it's easy to become complacent and just think... this is what he is when he comes in... and he has no room to grow.

Obviously the Magic see otherwise.... as they have said that they want to have player that THEY believe will be the best down the line. And I guess paolo won that projection.

[fateis007]

You can find some crazy highlights of Randle in high school. He had an injury is why he dropped in the draft.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

honestly i think Randle is a good comp. Except he's smaller, less explosive. Randle is a good 6'8 in shoes with a big body. Banchero is a 7 footer in shoes.

If Banchero becomes a better version of a 24/10/6 guy, I mean is anyone here really complaining?

Randle is a bad defender. I'd rather poke my eyes than watch Randle every game.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

their offensive game has similarties. both are also good passers. but that is where it ends. Paolo is not undersized and has a 41 inch vert.

julius is undersized. you put him at pf, he is to small, you put him at sf, he is to slow. It's hard to make up for that on the defensive end, unless you're an anomoly like Green

[Bigmagicfan82]

How is that confusing? You make the other teams think you're taking their guy and hope they offer some value to move up while still getting your guy on a lower salary, how is that difficult to understand?
Sure, it didn't work at the end but if that was the play it was worth the try.

May make you feel better Pepe:

"Paolo Banchero first thought he might go No. 1 when he saw betting markets drastically improve his odds. He wasn't surprised he went to Orlando because he said he actually had more communication with the Magic than any other team. "

Read on Twitter

It's confusing in sense that they didn't worked him out.
If they were so high on him why they couldn't find somebody to "tell a message" to his camp that they like him and would like to see him first hand?

Instad, what we did was run around with Jabari Smith and made complete fool out of him.

Orlando didn't make a complete fool of him. They worked Smith out. His agent wanted him available afterwards so he met with the media. The Magic never said that they were going to draft him. The media speculated that we were drafting him based on what rival GMs said. What was Orlando supposed to do? Come out and say "We aren't drafting Jabari"? They said they were still doing their process and making their evaluation. The only person that played Jabari is the media.

[BDill012]

Welcome, Paolo!

Looking forward to summer league.

[FrightCoward]

His footwork in the post is savant like. This guy is going to be an incredible scorer in the league. Can’t wait to watch him in summer league.

[j_n]

dumb arguement. you dont make your pick based on if fultz can shoot a 3. like come on.

You can find some crazy highlights of Randle in high school. He had an injury is why he dropped in the draft.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

honestly i think Randle is a good comp. Except he's smaller, less explosive. Randle is a good 6'8 in shoes with a big body. Banchero is a 7 footer in shoes.

If Banchero becomes a better version of a 24/10/6 guy, I mean is anyone here really complaining?

Is there any way to verify Paolo's height?
He was called 6"9 and 6"10 during the season which is usually the height with shoes, otherwise he would be called a 7 footer.
If the rumor about him being 6"10.5 without shoes is true that would make him taller than Vucevic.

[Black and Blue]

I went to the draft and was PUMPED when they called Paolo's name. Like run up and down the stairs in our section pumped.

I've been a Jabari fan, but as time has gone on I couldn't shake something: This sense that Jabari's workout with the Magic wasn't stellar. He said during the workout that coach gave him advice on what to do when his shot isn't falling...which is a strange thing to do if it IS falling in your workout. That was when it hit me that when Jabari's shot isn't falling he is a bit more two-dimensional (because I'm including his defense) than Paolo and Chet. It started to swing me towards the guy who had felt the mountains of expectations with Duke's final Coach K season that he wouldn't wilt under the bright lights of being the number 1 pick.

Guys, I think we knocked this pick out of the park. It's going to be so fun to watch this team next season. Happy to be a Magic fan with you all today.

[3ddman23]

anyone know when the presser will be ?

[fateis007]

You can find some crazy highlights of Randle in high school. He had an injury is why he dropped in the draft.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

honestly i think Randle is a good comp. Except he's smaller, less explosive. Randle is a good 6'8 in shoes with a big body. Banchero is a 7 footer in shoes.

If Banchero becomes a better version of a 24/10/6 guy, I mean is anyone here really complaining?

Is there any way to verify Paolo's height?
He was called 6"9 and 6"10 during the season which is usually the height with shoes, otherwise he would be called a 7 footer.
If the rumor about him being 6"10.5 without shoes is true that would make him taller than Vucevic.

He was measured at 6"10.5 without shoes apparently. And he also retweeted the post on it, so i'm guessing there is no reason for him to lie if he wasn't. He also just looks like a 7 footer out there, the dude is huge.

"Banchero was listed at 6'10", 250 pounds during his college career but said he recently measured 6'10½" without shoes and that he has grown since starting his freshman season. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday morning that Banchero is likely headed to the Houston Rockets"

Read on Twitter

[Skybox]

May make you feel better Pepe:

"Paolo Banchero first thought he might go No. 1 when he saw betting markets drastically improve his odds. He wasn't surprised he went to Orlando because he said he actually had more communication with the Magic than any other team. "

Read on Twitter

It's confusing in sense that they didn't worked him out.
If they were so high on him why they couldn't find somebody to "tell a message" to his camp that they like him and would like to see him first hand?

Instad, what we did was run around with Jabari Smith and made complete fool out of him.

Orlando didn't make a complete fool of him. They worked Smith out. His agent wanted him available afterwards so he met with the media. The Magic never said that they were going to draft him. The media speculated that we were drafting him based on what rival GMs said. What was Orlando supposed to do? Come out and say "We aren't drafting Jabari"? They said they were still doing their process and making their evaluation. The only person that played Jabari is the media.

Exactly. ORL values discretion, secrecy, and keeping options open...I support Weltman for, apparently, playing it close - assuming he was trying to goose out a trade-down and still get his guy (which, in hindsight, seemed like it may have been close given the uncertainty of the top 3)...I felt for a clearly surprised on-camera Jabari. He's just an excited kid...but I don't imagine he or his camp were lied to...this concern sounds like those who feel it's important to "do right by TRoss and send him to his preferred..."(or similar stories).

[tiderulz]

You can find some crazy highlights of Randle in high school. He had an injury is why he dropped in the draft.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM mobile app

honestly i think Randle is a good comp. Except he's smaller, less explosive. Randle is a good 6'8 in shoes with a big body. Banchero is a 7 footer in shoes.

If Banchero becomes a better version of a 24/10/6 guy, I mean is anyone here really complaining?

Is there any way to verify Paolo's height?
He was called 6"9 and 6"10 during the season which is usually the height with shoes, otherwise he would be called a 7 footer.
If the rumor about him being 6"10.5 without shoes is true that would make him taller than Vucevic.

why do you think that?

Durant did everything he could to not be called 7'. Duncan was called a 7' when he was really 6'10. Garnett called 7 when he was 6'11. so who cares what Duke listed as his height. maybe he didnt want to be called a 7 footer so that people wouldnt make him play center and he could stay at PF. you've seen the picture of him next to Williams, why does this bother you so much?

[Optimus_Steel]

I have to say that Paolo's spin move is pretty impressive. That's good footwork (skill) and athletic agility, explosion (natural physical attribute).

[lt175]

Honestly, I don't think Orlando did anything. I think what happen was a few scouts, agents, and other GM gave their opinions based on past drafts and their assessments of the team. The media ran with it because it made clicks. Orlando said nothing and let them drive the narrative. Then it became a matter of group think. As we heard Jabari more and more, mock drafts moved to Jabari, then fans started to move to Jabari, and the media moved to Jabari. In the end, it came across as left tern but it wasn't. It was a bad assumption made on poor information. Now the national media is scrambling to cover themselves so they don't lose credibility.

It´s the Mac Jones situation last year all over again.
Why would the Magic FO care about what the medias think?
Their job is to take the guy that will be the best player of this draft not to correct medias because they made wrong assumptions.
Maybe they liked Jabari more after the lottery, maybe it was Chet, who cares?
Right or wrong, their job is not to take the player medias or fans were all expecting.
Not a lot of people thought they would take Wagner.
And if you think about it, if this FO fell in love with Franz Wagner, surely they would have looked closely at Banchero.
Banchero just like F.Wagner is a big agile all around talent with a good handle, basketball IQ and passing ability.

[Knightro]

Read on Twitter

This guy holds 250 lbs incredibly well.