Where does Paolo Banchero rank in the Eastern Conference?

Some of the best players in the world are in the Eastern Conference.

You have two in Boston with Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown. There are two in Milwaukee with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. You have the New York Knicks with Jalen Brunson and the Indiana Pacers with Tyrese Haliburton. You cannot forget the Miami Heat's stars in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. You also cannot leave out players like Atlanta's Trae Young either.

The Eastern Conference is loaded with talent. They did win the NBA All-Star Game, after all, for whatever that is worth.

The Orlando Magic are not often mentioned with those teams. Paolo Banchero was an All-Star for the first time in his second year, but he is rarely on national TV. And the Magic are not talked about as an elite team in the conference. Even among the up-and-coming young teams in the league.

This weekend's frustrating pair of losses to the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers seemed to put a hole in the balloon of the team's rising star. But the Magic are still not out of the race for fourth in the Eastern Conference.

In totality, the Magic are ahead of schedule and demanding attention. Banchero is certainly a big reason why.

The bigger question is where do these players rank this season when it comes to team expectations and overall improvement. And more importantly, how high is Paolo Banchero on these lists?

This season, Banchero is averaging 22.8 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game and 5.2 assists per game. These numbers alone rank Banchero very high among Eastern Conference players.

Banchero may not yet be considered among the elite players in the Eastern Conference yet. The Playoffs will help him determine his place in the Eastern Confernce pecking order. Everyone is eager to see what Banchero looks like on that stage.

He still has a lot to prove to find his place in the league.