Duke star Paolo Banchero makes case to become No. 1 overall pick in NBA Draft

Former Duke basketball star Paolo Banchero recently declared for the 2022 NBA Draft with the expectation that he will land inside the top five. However, with competition from Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Auburn’s Jabari Smith and Purdue’s Jaden Ivey, there is no guarantee who will earn the honor of the No. 1 overall selection in late June.

During an appearance with ESPN ahead of the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery, Paolo Banchero broke down why he believes he should become the top pick in the class, an honor which would now place him on the Orlando Magic roster.

“I feel like I’m the No. 1 pick in the draft, just because I feel like I’m the best overall player,” said Banchero. “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. So just combining all those things and knowing what I have to work on to be better is the formula for me.”

The traits described by Banchero are backed up by his outstanding resume, which spans across high school, AAU and college seasons. He continues to develop into an all-around player and could become an intriguing piece with any of the rebuilding franchises on top of the draft board.

More about Paolo Banchero

During his one season at Duke, Paolo Banchero played a key role in leading Mike Krzyzewski’s final team to the Final Four before a loss against ACC rival North Carolina. After starting the season with hydration issues which made national headlines, he worked his way into shape and put any questions behind him down the stretch by playing long stints in every meaningful game.

In 39 games, Banchero averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists, also adding 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks. He did so on 47.8 precent shooting from the field and 33.8 percent shooting from the 3-point line.

Coming out of high school, Banchero ranked No. 3 overall in the 2021 On3 Consensus as a five-star prospect. He also ranked No. 1 among power forwards and No. 1 in his home state of Washington. The only players to rank above him in the class were Chet Holmgren and Jaden Hardy, who opted to spend the past season in the NBA G-League rather than the college ranks.