Ranking Banchero’s rookie season among the five most recent No. 1 picks

3. Paolo Banchero, 2022 Orlando Magic

We’ve come to this year’s current NBA Rookie of the Year favorite Paolo Banchero and the hype that he had pre-draft has so far been validated. He had the reputation of being a talented and versatile scoring forward who could flash a bit defensively and with passing and so far, he’s delivered.

Banchero has been lighting up defenses all season and doing so in a variety of ways. He leads all rookies in scoring, is fourth in rebounding, and third in assists per game. More importantly, however, is that Banchero is leading the Orlando Magic in points per game, ranks second in rebounds per game, and is third in assists per game.

It’s rare for an NBA rookie to come into the league with a polished arsenal of drives, dribble moves, and quick fakes to get open from their favorite spots on the floor, but Banchero’s done just that, emerging from his first start to be a player who can carry the scoring load for an NBA team:

https://twitter.com/Vator_H_Town/status/1631811422752571394

That’s not to say that Banchero is a finished product, however, in ways that are good and bad. On the bright side, he’s a savvy passer who, with teammates that can stripe triples with more efficiency, could see his assist numbers rise. On the other hand, Banchero’s three-point shot hasn’t fallen at a high enough clip to make him a threatening scorer from deep.

Fixing his long-range shooting and shoring up his team defense will not only put Banchero on the fast track toward making an all-star team but will help him lead the Magic back to the playoffs as their unquestioned star.