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.
Where does Paolo Banchero rank in the Eastern Conference?
The Elite of the Elite
Giannis Antetokounmpo is often considered the best player in the NBA. Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets may have taken that title away from him. But how much of that is Antetokounmpo understanding how to pace himself through the league? His eyes are always on winning a title.
This season, Antetokounmpo is averaging 30.8 points per game, 11.2 rebounds per game and 6.5 assists per game. Everyone know Antetokounmpo will be ready to perform in the postseason. That is all that matters to him.
The Bucks are back in the postseason chase even though they have struggled to integrate Damian Lillard and a new coach in Doc Rivers. But the Bucks are still an elite team and Antetokounmpo's daily brilliance is a big reason why.
Joel Embiid has started on-court workouts and is back in the weight room 100 percent, according to Katie George of ESPN. There is still hope Embiid can recover from his torn meniscus before the end of the season. That would dramatically change the postseason picture.
Philadelphia is currently sixth and have been dropping like a rock, going 7-11 since Embiid left the lineup. That probably is Embiid's best argument for MVP if he were still eligible for the award.
Embiid was the favorite to repeat as MVP before his injury. He was averaging 35.3 points per game 11.3 rebounds per game and 5.7 assists per game. He is one of the best players in the conference and is a first-ballot Hall of Famer once he retires.
Embiid has a lot of work to do before that, of course. He wants to win a title. And the Sixers are contenders so long as Embiid is healthy and able to play.
Jayson Tatum is averaging 26.9 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game and 4.9 assists per game. He is the leader of the team with the best record in the NBA. And running away with it too.
The Boston Celtics seem like a juggernaut. They are running roughshod through the league -- they lost consecutive games for the first time this season after Thursday's loss to the Denver Nuggets.
And they have done it too with Tatum sacrificing his numbers. He is no longer all about his scoring and there is a lot of trust and belief between him and his teammates. That is a big reason for Boston's success this season. Everyone is bought in.
And everyone is focused on winning a championship. Boston has a lot of battle scars from its playoff history, including last year's seven-game loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Where does Paolo Banchero rank in the Eastern Conference?
Knocking down the door
Damian Lillard was considered the missing piece the Milwaukee Bucks needed to compete for a title. The transition has proven difficult as the team won games, but did not look great. That eventually forced them to move on from Adrian Griffin for a veteran coach in Doc Rivers.
Since then, the Bucks have started to look a lot better, especially on defense. Lillard has had to adjust and get comfortable the most. And it has clearly ben a struggle.
Still, Lillard has to be high on the list because he can pretty much do it all offensively.
The former Portland Trail Blazer is averaging 24.7 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game and 6.9 assists per game. Since the All-Star Break, he is averaging 25.0 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game and 7.6 assists per game. The Bucks are still fighting for the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference, but they look much more potent as the season hits the stretch run.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have not been seeded this high since LeBron James was leading the team. Donovan Mitchell has made them a contender and a team that believes.
This season Mitchell is averaging 28.0 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game and 6.2 assists per game. His presence makes the Cavaliers relevant and a threat to make it out of the Eastern Conference.
His absence has only made that clearer. The Cavaliers are 3-3 in their last six games with Mitchell out with a left knee injury. But it sounds like it is more maintenance than anything serious. He could be back in the lineup tonight as the Cleveland Cavaliers try to secure the 2-seed over the Milwaukee Bucks.
They are in that spot in large part thanks to Mitchell and his dynamic offensive attack.
The New York City miracle. Jalen Brunson came to New York and revived a New York Knicks franchise that some people thought was lifeless. He has made the national media think they have a shot at a title. They are always obsessed with the Knicks, aren't they?
That should not take away from Brunson. As the Orlando Magic found on Friday, he is a dynamic scorer who can crush the spirits of even the best defenses in the league. He had 26 points in 29 minutes just a few days removed from what looked like a serious knee injury.
The former Villanova guard is averaging 27.1 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game and 6.5 assists per game this season. He is a player who has proven to be a needle mover and will continue to get better as he gains more confidence.
He has shown in the playoffs, he is a big-time performer. Brunson shows up in the Playoffs.
Brunson is a true leader and despite his size he plays with a lot grit. The Knicks know he will show up for the Playoffs and he has carried the franchise back to legitimacy.
Where does Paolo Banchero rank in the Eastern Conference?
Eager to prove themselves
The Orlando Magic are not the laughing stock of the NBA anymore. And Paolo Banchero is the reason why teams respect them.
The Magic were 22-60 before drafting Banchero and now they find themselves within five games from the 2-seed in the Eastern Conference and fighting for homecourt advantage in the final quarter of the season.
He has the weaker second option than any of the other top five players in the East -- and some of that is Franz Wagner is a young player also trying to find his way through the early parts of his career, and Wagner is averaging 20.1 points per game anyway. His presence gives his teammates the confidence to play at their highest potential.
Banchero may not average as many points as some of the other players on this list -- he is averaging 22.8 point sper game, 6.8 rebounds per game and 5.2 asissts per game. But his ability to defend multiple positions combined with his defensive presence in the paint pushes him to the top five.
Banchero is still in his second year and that shows up plenty. He is still learning what a good shot is and how to attack. But he has already established himself as one of the best players in the Eastern Conference. And he should only get better.
The sharpshooter in Atlanta has earned his way on the list due to how he is playing this year and the danger he constantly presents anytime anybody plays the Atlanta Hawks.
Trae Young is averaging 26.4 points per game, 2.7 rebounds per game and 10.8 assists per game this year. He has range like Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard. He can also get his teammates involved too.
Since he came in on day one he was considered the undisputed leader of the Hawks' franchise and has his team fighting for a spot in the Play-In Tournament. That might be a disappointment for a Hawks franchise that has been stuck in the middle since their 2020 Eastern Conference Finals trip.
But Young is still unquestionably one of the most dangerous offensive players in the league.
The Philadephia 76ers struck gold when they selected Tyrese Maxey in the first round in 2020. Daryl Morey thought he was good, but he could not have thought he was going to end up as the second part of a one-two punch with Joel Embiid.
Tyrese Maxey made it OK to trade James Harden earlier this season. The Sixers could still be competitive so long as Embiid was healthy.
The fourth-year star has earned his spot as a top-10 player in the Eastern Conference this year after averaging 26.0 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game and 6.3 assists per game. He is a clear number-one candidate for Most Improved Player and has a bright future.
The Chicago Bulls still have one of the best mid-range shooters on their roster and he is still a top player in the Eastern Conference despite his team's struggles.
This year, DeMar DeRozan has very quietly been averaging 23.2 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game and 5.4 assists per game. The combination of him, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic never really matured into a legit big three. They have made the Playoffs once since they have been together. And they are in line to be back in the Play-In Chase once again.
DeRozan though still is one of the more dynamic and dangerous scorers in the league, even if he goes against the current wave of analytics.
There are plenty of other players who deserve recognition in the Eastern Conference.
Julius Randle has had a stellar year averaging 24.0 points per game, 9.2 rebounds per game and 5.0 assists per game. But his shoulder injury has left him forgotten for now. His return is critical for the Knicks to advance in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
Darius Garland too is one of the best young players in the league. He has been a big boost to the Cleveland Cavaliers' offense, averaging 18.5 points per game and 6.3 assists per game to lead Cleveland near the top of the Eastern Conference.
Jaylen Brown had had to sacrifice the most for the Boston Celtics' success. He is averaging 22.8 points per game. His scoring, like Jayson Tatum's, is down as he sacrifices some to help the team improve. As the Golden State Warriors found out last week, Brown can still put up a lot of points.
Tyrese Haliburton has also been transformational for the Indiana Pacers. He has helped them carve a clear identity that helps them be a unique team in the league. Their speed and pace have proven difficult to handle. Haliburton has led that charge with 20.8 points per game and a league-high 11.3 assists per game.
Then there is the Miami Heat duo of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. Neither they nor the team seem to care much about regular season exploits. But everyone knows they will be ready for the postseason -- Miami is 11-6 to move into striking distance of fourth in the East, despite the team's current three-game losing streak.
These players are the best of the best among the Eastern Conference elite and are helping their teams compete for Playoff positioning.
Paolo Banchero has quickly put himself in the conversation of being one of the conference's best players. The more he wins the closer he will get to the top.