How the Orlando Magic could use each of the top three NBA draft prospects next season

How the 2022 top Draft prospects fit the Orlando Magic

Paolo Banchero, Duke

NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen: Thurs. vs. Texas Tech (9:39 p.m.)

Paolo Banchero has all the tools to be a star in the NBA. His size and strength at just 19 are staggering, and he has the versatile offensive game to hurt teams in different ways.

At the moment, he is most adept at taking the ball inside to post up and at using his speed to blow past opposition players and finish. He is a really good ball-handler and has shown he can knock down mid-range shots off the dribble and from three. But he still has a ways to go before he can be considered proficient from the perimeter.

Out of the top three prospects, Banchero arguably makes the most sense when you look at this current Orlando Magic team. He probably has the highest upside of anyone in the draft and Orlando needs a star to take things forward and his go-to scoring potential could provide just that.

The defensive potential is there, but he certainly is not as big of a defensive prospect as the other two names on this list. His skills are focused much more toward the other end of the court.

The current flaws in his game — shot selection, inconsistent shooting, defense — are all typical of guys his age. It suggests the Duke forward is still developing and he has really impressed in the NCAA Tournament so far, including scoring 19 against Michigan State on Sunday.

Like the other two names on this list, Banchero is versatile. His size suggests he is probably more of a 4 but he could quite easily play at the 3-spot instead, like Franz Wagner.

If the Magic draft Paolo Banchero, pairing him as a forward duo with Franz Wagner alongside a center, probably Wendell Carter, would make sense. The two forwards’ size, versatility and offensive creation- is an intriguing prospect given the team still desperately lacks shot creation — it does not hugely matter who is the 3 or the 4 given the way the game is played nowadays.

Given Wagner and Banchero both like the ball in their hands to create, there might be an issue with who gets more opportunity to do so but that should not really be too much of a concern given how much the team struggles on offense. Having more firepower should be the main priority.

Orlando would have to get the ball into Banchero’s hands in his rookie year to let him show what he can do. Others would have to sacrifice so he could run isolation plays, while using him as a roller to the basket also makes sense as a focus given his supreme athletic ability and his threat from alley-oops.

Wagner is also smart off-ball as a cutter and so can be effective in different ways. The two might not provide consistent shooting from three in the early stages but over time, hopefully they would do.

Banchero’s arrival, should he develop as is hoped, would put a lot of pressure on Isaac to get better on offense. It might be that if Isaac cannot iron out his offensive flaws his role becomes one off the bench. But if he can improve and his defense remains elite, then it could become a fight between Wagner and Banchero for that other starting spot.