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His summer league was ummmm OK, nothing special (at least not for the #1 pick). You got the team and coaches in training camp saying the other bigs are better shooters, and also that Paolo tends to hang his head. Preseason just started, but he was extremely underwhelming for a #1 pick. He looks very average, someone who is decent at everything but not elite in anything (you can see that in SL too). Out of the 5-7 lottery picks, his play was the least inspiring after watching them all debut the past couple days. I’m not digging on the kid, and I’m certainly not saying he won’t be great, but he definitely to me seems a little over hyped at the moment.

Not going to lie, I’m a little annoyed that Jabari looked nice the other night

davey_wavy wrote:His summer league was ummmm OK, nothing special (at least not for the #1 pick). You got the team and coaches in training camp saying the other bigs are better shooters, and also that Paolo tends to hang his head. Preseason just started, but he was extremely underwhelming for a #1 pick. He looks very average, someone who is decent at everything but not elite in anything (you can see that in SL too). Out of the 5-7 lottery picks, his play was the least inspiring after watching them all debut the past couple days. I’m not digging on the kid, and I’m certainly not saying he won’t be great, but he definitely to me seems a little over hyped at the moment.

Not going to lie, I’m a little annoyed that Jabari looked nice the other night

I mean if you watched Jabari in the pre-season you would have seen a bust. He was horrid. This is why we don't judge players on 5 games.

This was just the first game of the preseason. I am more worried of Jalen Suggs than Paolo

Just wait until Banchero's shooting under 40% after the first month

Depends. To begin with, what were you expecting? Hall of fame caliber?

Long post, I’m sorry.


I don’t watch college ball so I never heard of him until Orlando won the #1 pick. Once everyone said Jabari Smith Jr was the pick, I was just pretty much set on Jabari.

When we chose Paolo (having so many claiming that he was going to be traded, he didn’t want to be here, and so forth, I had a hard time just being excited for the pick) I decided to look him up and was genuinely surprised at his play making skill. I think that is his elite skill. He seems really intelligent too, like he truly understand the game. I started watching some of his Duke games on YouTube, and besides the overhype from the commentators, he genuinely look like a good player, though at times I was more impressed with his Duke teammates than him. The fact that he can do everything is a plus for me. Those type of players usually go unnoticed because they don’t have an elite skill. But he does have one.

I became even more impressed with him during SL. It was the WAY he scored his points or got his assist. He created most of his shots for himself. The offense ran better with him at point. He read the defense better than I’ve seen anyone on this team stans Fultz and it truly gravitate towards him. He is able to use his body to get to his spots, collapse the defense and find the open player. He is such a fluid player.

His pre-season debut was hard to watch. But it wasn’t because of him, it was because of what Bamba said in one of the videos during training camp. Bamba was asked about the big lineup and how did it fair out, and he said that they had to learn to communicate better because they all pretty much play the same position they naturally tend to end up in the same spots. And that’s what played out during the game with that lineup. I now understand why Cole said they won 8-2 against that lineup.

I don’t care that he only scored 8 points, I cared more that his playmaking skills was non-existent in the game. It wasn’t until HE explained that he was reading the defense wrong and that he had to learn to read it out of the pick and roll, instead of isolations like in college. He figured this out before they even watched film, that showed me his understanding of the game and his ability to process it during the game. I also think that was what frustrated him, along with Adams guarding him.

But, as for overhyping him. No. He seemed like the best player in that starting lineup and this was his first NBA game. Did other rookies have better games or better stats? Yes. But his skill sets are so different from the other players. He is not dependent on his teammates and that’s what is exciting about his game. I am truly happy for Jabari and I am glad that he had a good game. But Jabari’s play does not negate how good Paolo can be. Paolo gets it, whatever it is, and it is going to be nice watching him figure it out as well. Oh yeah, I didn’t even mention that the kid show up during big games, I am looking forward to his growth.

Most people definitely overrate Rookie Paolo. We had enough posts here or on reddit saying we gonna win 15-20 more games and are this years Cavs mainly because of Paolo.
Its much more probably he makes us worse in year 1 than helping us win more games. He wasnt even a efficient scorer vs. College competition. Pretty sure he's gonna be a mid/high volume low eff. Scorer as a rookie, with bad defense & bad rebounding.
I expect around 17 ppg on 42% shooting & way below leaque average TS% (Which again is absolute normal for one and done high volume rookies).
He won't make our offense better and our defense worse. I'm not saying he is a bust. It's just normal for a one and done rookie. They are almost every time negative players. Even generational players like LeBron & Durant were unefficient scorers in year one. Rookies who make a impact in year one, are the few guys who can play defense and are at least serviceable on offense like Mobley. Paolo gonna be a negative player like Green, Edward's & Co. In year 1.
That's the reason I never understood the hype about winning more games this year.
We are the same bad super young team. Young teams doesn't win. We can't shoot. Our defense probably gonna be worse with Paolo (I doesnt count Isaac til I actually see him play). We still just lack talent in general.

if you expect Lebron, you are setting yourself ot dissapointment.

If you expect some Cade Cunningham playstyle in body of Randle with shades of later Griffin, than you are not overrating him.

He'll probably get to 15 ppg ,6 rpg ,3.5-4 apg in rookie year on meh efficiency but you didn't draft him for rookie year.

Hopefully over time roster will be built to his strenghts, not to highlight his weaknesses like current is.

Anyone who watched the spacing in that game the other day, knows how much havoc Memphis was causing. They literally were allowed to be aggressive enough to cause 18 turn overs to 5 assist by that starting unit. I am not judging any game until I see starting lineup out there. Mo and Suggs need to goto the bench, as Cole/Franz are the only floor spacers we have.

With a guy like Paolo, They might want to consider putting Tross in the starting lineup due to lack of options. Cole/Ross/Franz would at least create some spacing for Paolo to work and they can all drive and kick.

A lot of good points made. Especially the Suggs comment

davey_wavy wrote:Not going to lie, I’m a little annoyed that Jabari looked nice the other night

Control your own sports anxiety. Don’t bring the rest of us down with you.

It’s not that we’re overrating Paolo directly, it’s that we’re counting on him to save this awful franchise. He needs to be the offensive engine we’ve lacked for a decade. So we fill in the gaps with a lot of hopes and dreams.

RickB-Orlando wrote:Yes, after 23 minutes and one pre-season game, it is clear he is a bust and we screwed the pick.

This happens every preseason, and one would think it’s coming from a person with zero experience watching nba basketball, but no.. it’s people who’ve been here since 2012. So at minimum this person has gone through at least 10 preseasons enough to know that’s it’s absolutely absurd to judge a rookie on a preseason game.

Is it just me or has Paolo lost a lot of weight.

Is this a real question?

Not sure how one preseason game could take anyone to make this jump.

lol @ this thread

Just wondering ..

Shouldn't we wait till there's something genuine to rate the kid on before we start wondering if he's overrated?

ORLMagicGirl15 wrote:Long post, I’m sorry.


I don’t watch college ball so I never heard of him until Orlando won the #1 pick. Once everyone said Jabari Smith Jr was the pick, I was just pretty much set on Jabari.

When we chose Paolo (having so many claiming that he was going to be traded, he didn’t want to be here, and so forth, I had a hard time just being excited for the pick) I decided to look him up and was genuinely surprised at his play making skill. I think that is his elite skill. He seems really intelligent too, like he truly understand the game. I started watching some of his Duke games on YouTube, and besides the overhype from the commentators, he genuinely look like a good player, though at times I was more impressed with his Duke teammates than him. The fact that he can do everything is a plus for me. Those type of players usually go unnoticed because they don’t have an elite skill. But he does have one.

I became even more impressed with him during SL. It was the WAY he scored his points or got his assist. He created most of his shots for himself. The offense ran better with him at point. He read the defense better than I’ve seen anyone on this team stans Fultz and it truly gravitate towards him. He is able to use his body to get to his spots, collapse the defense and find the open player. He is such a fluid player.

His pre-season debut was hard to watch. But it wasn’t because of him, it was because of what Bamba said in one of the videos during training camp. Bamba was asked about the big lineup and how did it fair out, and he said that they had to learn to communicate better because they all pretty much play the same position they naturally tend to end up in the same spots. And that’s what played out during the game with that lineup. I now understand why Cole said they won 8-2 against that lineup.

I don’t care that he only scored 8 points, I cared more that his playmaking skills was non-existent in the game. It wasn’t until HE explained that he was reading the defense wrong and that he had to learn to read it out of the pick and roll, instead of isolations like in college. He figured this out before they even watched film, that showed me his understanding of the game and his ability to process it during the game. I also think that was what frustrated him, along with Adams guarding him.

But, as for overhyping him. No. He seemed like the best player in that starting lineup and this was his first NBA game. Did other rookies have better games or better stats? Yes. But his skill sets are so different from the other players. He is not dependent on his teammates and that’s what is exciting about his game. I am truly happy for Jabari and I am glad that he had a good game. But Jabari’s play does not negate how good Paolo can be. Paolo gets it, whatever it is, and it is going to be nice watching him figure it out as well. Oh yeah, I didn’t even mention that the kid show up during big games, I am looking forward to his growth.

good post. people forget how young some of these players are. and in college, many are just relying on physical strengths. learning how to read defense, how to feel the flow of the game, can take a little time. when that happens to go with his physicality is when he takes that next jump

Paolo is not a freak of nature who can get to the rim at any time like Zion or Lebron. He is good at it but not elite. He is relying more on rhytm, balance and footwork. He will need some time to adjust just as he needed in college. I am not worried that he is missing reads in pick and roll that was to be expected. I want to see him attacking mismatches both on the perimeter and under the basket. I dont think we overrate Banchero unless someone thinks he is pick and roll maestro like Doncic or one man wrecking crew like Lebron or Zion. We didnt see him in his preffered role yet, last game we used him to his weaknesses. Some by necessity some by suspect gameplan.

Christ. Might be a record for calling rookies busts or overrated.

Rookies suck in their first year if they aren’t generational talent, sometimes even still. The most you can expect are flashes of skill and progress. Anything more than that Is icing.

This last draft I didn’t see “generational” talent. The guys at the top were all B+ at best. Paolo took advantage of smaller guys at every level. He’s got to learn how to maximize his playmaking ability and inside-out game at this level. That is going to take more than a season.