3 Young stars who have no business being well ahead of Banchero in recent NBA rankings
By Elaine Blum
Orlando Magic fans are quite sure that their team has already found its next superstar. The Magic drafted Paolo Banchero first overall in the 2022 NBA Draft when most people believed Jabari Smith Jr. or Chet Holmgren to be the number-one pick.
Paolo Banchero has lived up to the challenge so far, averaging 21.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists over his two NBA seasons so far. He has also been very available missing only 14 games in total. In just his second season, Banchero made his first All-Star appearance and took his team to the playoffs, keeping the Magic alive for seven games against the more veteran Cleveland Cavaliers.
He has already reached a great level despite being only 21 years old. Magic fans know there is only more to come from the young forward.
Outside of Orlando, Banchero has received plenty of criticism, though. The most prominent criticism is about his efficiency. Banchero needs to improve his efficiency and lower his turnover numbers, but most of that should be solved with more experience and adding a point guard to the mix. Besides, it should not overshadow everything he does well.
This same criticism led to the Action Network ranking Paolo Banchero 48th in its Elite 100 rankings. For a player just heading into his third NBA season, being in the top fifty is not bad at all. Something Magic fans should complain about is some of the young players ranked ahead of Banchero, sometimes by a lot.
3. LaMelo Ball (#44)
Ranked 44th overall, LaMelo Ball is the young star ranked closest to Paolo Banchero. Should he really be four spots ahead of Banchero, though? Both have made one All-Star team in their career and are capable of putting up great numbers. Ball has the edge over Banchero as a 3-point shooter and passer, but Banchero has made a bigger impact on his team.
While the Charlotte Hornets have found no team success since drafting LaMelo Ball, and he only played a total of 184 games over four seasons, Banchero has been available and already led his young team to the postseason ahead of schedule.
Banchero was the undisputed main guy on his team in just his second season but still managed to lead the Magic to the playoffs and took his game to another level in the playoffs. That should give him an edge over Ball right now. Once Ball is healthy and the Hornets stop being terrible, that might very well change. Both are capable of becoming great players in this league, but so far, Banchero has accomplished more for his team in fewer seasons.