Paolo Banchero is heading to Central Florida as the number one pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Banchero was the odds-on favorite to go number one late Wednesday at -200, but the consensus was that Jabari Smith Jr. would go number one. Five minutes before the Magic's pick was in, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that Banchero was the frontrunner the Magic's choice.
Banchero led the Duke Blue Devils to the Final Four before losing to archrival North Carolina Tar Heels. He led Duke with 17.2 points on 47.8% shooting with 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Those numbers increased in the postseason including the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament with 18.8 points on 50% shooting with 7.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
Banchero had the most developed and proven talent in this draft class. At 6'10 and 205 pounds with a 7'1 wingspan, Banchero brings a competitive edge, pro-levels skills with just one year of college, passing ability, and scoring ability from the mid-range and inside. He will need some improvement on shooting the deep ball and work on his defensive abilities, but with a new coach in Orlando, he will have the opportunity to improvement well playing right away.
Paolo Banchero will be joining a relatively young team in central Florida. Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony in the backcourt with Jonathan Issac, Mo Bamba, the Wanger Brothers in the frontcourt with Banchero.