Paolo Banchero
Discover more from NBA Big Board
PAOLO BANCHERO
Duke
Freshman
PF
6’10” | 250 | Wingspan: 7’0”
Age on draft night: 19.6
Primary Values: Scoring, strength
Ranking: 2
Pos Ranking: 2
Draft range: 1-5
Preliminary Report:
Banchero is already a grown man. His legs look like tree trunks.
He’s got Zion-like strength, but that’s not all: He’s also got significant skill and feel for a big guy. He has a nice face-up game, can put the ball on the deck and is a terrific passer. On defense he uses that same feel to make the right calls — he’s the rare big guy who can stay out of foul trouble by outthinking his opponent.
So what could keep Banchero from going No. 1? He lacks elite athleticism, for one. And I’ve had more than one scout make a Jabari Parker comparison.
“I felt the same way about Banchero that I did about Jabari coming out of high school,” one scout said. “I absolutely loved him and thought he had the chance to be the best player in the 2014 draft class. But so much of Jabari when he was young had to do with how physically dominant he was. When he started matching up with more physically dominant players, his lack of burst started to make a difference, especially defensively.
“Same thing happened with Stanley Johnson. I worry about Jalen Johnson, too. So I don’t know what to think with [Banchero]. He’s got the chance to be an awesome offensive player. But will he be able to move his feet well enough to defend in the NBA?”
Full Scouting Report Coming Soon …