Former NBA champion in awe of Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero, says he made him go 'WOW'-"The exact same feeling I got when I saw Giannis"
Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic is showing to be one of the best rookies in all of basketball to start the season. Coming into the year, he was the number 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft after playing some incredible basketball at Duke University a season ago. In the first three games of his NBA career, it's easy to see why many believe that he has the potential to be one of the best players in the league in the coming years. He's currently averaging 23.3 points per game in his first three contests and is shooting over 40% from the field while grabbing 8.7 rebounds and blocking two shots per game.
He's going to be a force on both sides of the basketball and it's led to some saying that he has one of the brighter futures out of any player that the league currently has.
Brian Scalabrine said that Banchero reminded him of Giannis and others he saw for the first time.
Stamped. He is stamped... Sometimes there are dudes in the league that are going to be good and in their situational, like ah man this guy is in Orlando. Like the exact same feeling I got when I saw Giannis, Scottie Barnes, and Paolo Banchero for the very first time. I'm like wow. I can't believe he's this big this strong, moves like that. Whatever you want to say like you just watch him and you think man this dude is stamped.
"Wow"
@Scalabrine shares his reaction after watching Paolo Banchero play in person over the weekend
@OrlandoMagic | @Pp_doesit https://t.co/IaC8o28Nl5
Banchero Can Be One of the Leagues Best Soon
Paolo Banchero has a chance of being one of the best players in the NBA in the next few seasons. It's going to be tough for him to solidify that role as the Orlando Magic likely aren't going to be one of the better teams in basketball for the next few years, but if he can continue playing just as he has and they keep drafting well while they're young guys develop, there's a good chance that they could be one of the more interesting teams in the NBA for the next few seasons.
It's going to solely rely on him and a few other guys, but he has more than enough to complete that task.
Being compared to guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Scottie Barnes is a great first step for Banchero. However, there's still more of his game that he's going to need to work on if he wants to be one of those types of players.
Scottie Barnes also has things that he has to work on to become a guy like Giannis, but again, those guys are so young that they have a legitimate chance of becoming that in the coming years. Giannis didn't just wake up one day and become one of the better players in all of basketball, so hard work is the only way that they will be able to complete that task. Orlando basketball is in great hands with some of the young talent they currently have.