In an unexpected decision, The Orlando Magic selected power forward Paolo Banchero (Duke University) on Thursday. with number one in the 2022 NBA Draft, ahead of the big favorites, Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga) and Jabari Smith (Auburn), then recruited by the Thunder and Rockets.
the magicians, who haven’t been number one since they picked Dwight Howard in 2004, They opted for the proven offensive talent of Banchero, born in Seattle (Washington) but who, due to his family origins, also has Italian nationality.
“I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe what just happened, I never would have thought this would happen.” declared an emotional Banchero after receiving the cap of his new team from the hands of the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, on the stage of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn (New York).
“I wanted to be in the NBA but I didn’t imagine this. It’s incredibleI can’t talk right now,” acknowledged this 2.08m tall power forward wearing a flashy purple suit.
Until a few minutes before the ceremony, the vast majority of experts agreed that Orlando would opt for Jabari Smith, an explosive 2.11m power forward with a great outside shot, or by Chet Holmgren, an intimidating 2.13m center with a good hand, both with better reputations as defenders than Banchero.
The power forward, who averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his only season at Duke, he should be the spearhead for the revamped Magic, who finished penultimate in the Eastern Conference last season with 21 wins and 51 losses.
The Magic have only made the playoffs twice in the last decade. and in 2021 they resigned themselves to selling their figures (Vucevic, Fournier, Gordon) and embarking on a long and uncertain reconstruction process.
In the May lottery, lluck smiled at Orlando allowing him to choose first for the fourth time in its history, after the elections of Shaquille O’Neal (1992), Chris Webber (1993), and Dwight Howard (2004).
Banchero is destined to be the leader of a group of promises that Bases Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs, German forward Franz Wagner and center Wendell Carter Jr.., none of whom is over 23 years old.
– Holmgren to Thunder and Smith to Rockets –
Second, Chet Holmgren was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder, a franchise in permanent reconstruction.
At 19 years old, Holmgren must be the great reference in the interior game of Oklahoma, that in the perimeter it has two of the guards with the most future in the league, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Australian Josh Giddey, and that it has another 18 first-round picks until 2028.
Most analysts agree in which Holmgren (14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds on average) he is a riskier bet than Banchero or Smith but also one that offers the most potential in this Draft.
There is no precedent for a 2.13m player with his shot (1.3 triples per game), ball handling and defensive intimidation (3.7 blocks).
The Houston Rockets took third place with Jabari Smith, who was considered a heavy favorite for number one because of his ability to make a big impact on both ends of the floor.
To find a Draft with the first three elections dominated by tall men, you have to go back to 2001, when number one was Kwame Brown, a cousin of Jabari Smith.
This talented power forward, who averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2 assists at Auburn, he can form a fearsome pairing in Houston for the next decade with shooting guard Jalen Green, the 2021 No. 2 pick.
The Sacramento Kings, desperate to return to the playoffs after a 16-year absenceanalyzed until the last moment offers from other teams about their fourth choice but finally exercised it to choose power forward Keegan Murray (Iowa).
Murray, 21 years old and averaging 23.5 points, 8.7 reboundswill form a new inside game in Sacramento with Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis.
In fifth place, the Detroit Pistons selected athletic point guard Jaden Ivey (Purdue), who will form a duo on the perimeter with Cade Cunningham, the number one in the 2021 Draft.
In an unexpected decision, The Orlando Magic selected power forward Paolo Banchero (Duke University) on Thursday. with number one in the 2022 NBA Draft, ahead of the big favorites, Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga) and Jabari Smith (Auburn), then recruited by the Thunder and Rockets.
the magicians, who haven’t been number one since they picked Dwight Howard in 2004, They opted for the proven offensive talent of Banchero, born in Seattle (Washington) but who, due to his family origins, also has Italian nationality.
“I don’t know what to say. I can’t believe what just happened, I never would have thought this would happen.” declared an emotional Banchero after receiving the cap of his new team from the hands of the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, on the stage of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn (New York).
“I wanted to be in the NBA but I didn’t imagine this. It’s incredibleI can’t talk right now,” acknowledged this 2.08m tall power forward wearing a flashy purple suit.
Until a few minutes before the ceremony, the vast majority of experts agreed that Orlando would opt for Jabari Smith, an explosive 2.11m power forward with a great outside shot, or by Chet Holmgren, an intimidating 2.13m center with a good hand, both with better reputations as defenders than Banchero.
The power forward, who averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his only season at Duke, he should be the spearhead for the revamped Magic, who finished penultimate in the Eastern Conference last season with 21 wins and 51 losses.
The Magic have only made the playoffs twice in the last decade. and in 2021 they resigned themselves to selling their figures (Vucevic, Fournier, Gordon) and embarking on a long and uncertain reconstruction process.
In the May lottery, lluck smiled at Orlando allowing him to choose first for the fourth time in its history, after the elections of Shaquille O’Neal (1992), Chris Webber (1993), and Dwight Howard (2004).
Banchero is destined to be the leader of a group of promises that Bases Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs, German forward Franz Wagner and center Wendell Carter Jr.., none of whom is over 23 years old.
– Holmgren to Thunder and Smith to Rockets –
Second, Chet Holmgren was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder, a franchise in permanent reconstruction.
At 19 years old, Holmgren must be the great reference in the interior game of Oklahoma, that in the perimeter it has two of the guards with the most future in the league, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Australian Josh Giddey, and that it has another 18 first-round picks until 2028.
Most analysts agree in which Holmgren (14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds on average) he is a riskier bet than Banchero or Smith but also one that offers the most potential in this Draft.
There is no precedent for a 2.13m player with his shot (1.3 triples per game), ball handling and defensive intimidation (3.7 blocks).
The Houston Rockets took third place with Jabari Smith, who was considered a heavy favorite for number one because of his ability to make a big impact on both ends of the floor.
To find a Draft with the first three elections dominated by tall men, you have to go back to 2001, when number one was Kwame Brown, a cousin of Jabari Smith.
This talented power forward, who averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2 assists at Auburn, he can form a fearsome pairing in Houston for the next decade with shooting guard Jalen Green, the 2021 No. 2 pick.
The Sacramento Kings, desperate to return to the playoffs after a 16-year absenceanalyzed until the last moment offers from other teams about their fourth choice but finally exercised it to choose power forward Keegan Murray (Iowa).
Murray, 21 years old and averaging 23.5 points, 8.7 reboundswill form a new inside game in Sacramento with Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis.
In fifth place, the Detroit Pistons selected athletic point guard Jaden Ivey (Purdue), who will form a duo on the perimeter with Cade Cunningham, the number one in the 2021 Draft.
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