3 Young stars who have no business being well ahead of Banchero in recent NBA rankings 

2. Cade Cunningham (#41)

Cade Cunningham was the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft—one year before Banchero entered the league—and had the bad luck of being drafted by the Detroit Pistons. 

Since drafting Cunningham, the Pistons have not won more than 23 games in a season and finished the 2023-24 season with the worst record in the league. Cunningham has put up solid numbers despite only playing 12 games in the 2022-23 season. He currently averages 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1 steal per game for his career. 

Last season, Cunningham averaged about as many points as Banchero and more assists but fewer rebounds. He also played 18 fewer games, though, and was on the worst team in the league. Meanwhile, Banchero led his young team to the playoffs and made an All-Star appearance. 

So why is he ranked seven spots ahead of Banchero if the Magic forward has put up similar numbers on a better team? It seems the authors are simply higher on Cunningham's potential than Banchero's. 

"Bold take: This is the last time Cunningham will appear outside the top 25 on this list," Matt Moore wrote. 

If we want to rank players based on their current play and success, Cunningham should not be seven spots ahead of Banchero, though.