2022 NBA Draft: Orlando Magic select Paolo Banchero, Duke forward

Duke Blue Devils forward Paolo Banchero is off the board in the 2022 NBA Draft. With the No. 1 pick of the first round, the Orlando Magic selected Banchero as their first pick in the draft.

When Paolo Banchero declared for the NBA Draft after one year at Duke, it was clear he would be a top-five selection.

The 6-foot-10, 250-pound, Seattle native played and started 39 games for the Blue Devils as a freshman. He scored 17.2 points per game in 33 minutes with a 47.8% hit rate from the field. Posting 7.8 boards per game, Banchero was just a couple of rebounds shy of averaging a double-double, which he notched on 12 occasions.

Banchero shared why he believes he’s a top player in the 2022 NBA Draft after helping Duke reach the Final Four.

“I feel like I’m the No. 1 pick in the draft, just because I feel like I’m the best overall player,” Banchero said. “I feel like I check all the boxes. Whether that’s being a great teammate, being able to be the star player, or doing whatever the coach needs.

“I’ve been a winner my whole life, won everywhere I went. And when I get to the NBA that’s going to be the same goal for me.”

What the scouts are saying about Paolo Banchero

“Banchero’s background was first as a guard before it was as a dual-threat power forward,” CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone wrote ahead of the draft. “He carried those lessons throughout high school and into college, making him one of the better passers at his position in recent memory. When he grabs a board, he can run the break and go coast-to-coast like he’s 6-foot-4.

“Shooting it from deep and defending at a high level are the only two things keeping him from becoming the consensus top prospect. He can knock down 3-pointers, but he made just 33.8% of them at Duke. He can defend and hold up physically, but switching onto the perimeter and maintaining effort and focus was hit or miss at times in college.”