Welcome to the my second scouting report of the year. I have been watching games and film all season and it is finally time to compile my thoughts into scouting reports, mock drafts, and more big boards. For my first scouting report I did Chet Holmgren which you can check out here! For my second scouting report I’ll be doing future top 4 pick… Paolo Banchero.
To see my overall thoughts, read until the end.
My Big Board Ranking as of 4/23: 2
| Draft Night Age: 19.6 | Height: 6’10 | Weight: 250 lbs | Wingspan: 7’1 |
| PPG: 17.2 | RPG: 7.8 | APG: 3.2 | SPG: 1.1 |
| BPG: 0.9 | FG%: 47.8 | 3P%: 33.8 | FT%: 72.9 |
Most Impressive Stats
According to CBB Analytics Paolo Banchero is 1 of 2 players to average 3 assists per 40 minutes and 7 defensive rebounds per 40 minutes (Trevion Williams)
Banchero shot 61.9% from corner 3’s although on 21 shot sample size
Strengths
- Offensive jugernaut, should average 20 points per game in the NBA
- Incredible frame, NBA ready body
- Jab, jump shot move from mid range is elite
- Great ball handler
- Center of gravity is very low, has no problem getting past shorter/quicker defenders
- Great midrange scorer
- Good playmaker, demands help defense
- Frame, footwork, and speed show he could be a good defender
Weaknesses
- Despite potential, defensive effort is abismal
- Has shooting confidence but shot 33% from 3
- Sometimes doesn’t seem to care, checks out
- Defense again
Best Potential Fits: Rockets, Pistons, Pacers, Trail Blazers
Worst Potential Fits: Magic, Pelicans, Wizards, Kings (they will be on everyone’s bad fit list)
Shades Of: Carmelo Anthony, Chris Webber, Karl Anthony-Towns
Best Game: 1/18/22 @Florida State
| Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | FG | 3PT | FT | TO |
| 20 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 6/11 | 1/3 | 7/9 | 4 |
Worst Game: 2/23/22 @Virginia
| Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | FG | 3PT | FT | TO |
| 8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2/13 | 0/3 | 4/6 | 3 |
Best 5 Games Stretch: 1/4/22-1/18/22 (vs Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State, @Wake Forest, Florida State)
| Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | FG% | 3P% | FT% | TO |
| 20.4 | 8.6 | 3.6 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 55.6% | 35.7% | 67.5% | 2.8 |
Overall Thoughts
Paolo Banchero is an offensive juggernaut! Bachero thrives inside the lane and last season shot 70.7% from within 4 feet of the hoop. Banchero’s elite footwork and low center of gravity allows him to blow by bigger defenders and his ability to finish in the post allows him to score against smaller defenders. For these reasons Banchero is a matchup nightmare especially when you consider his incredible handle.
Defensivley, Banchero is not nearly as advanced and I would go as far as to say he is bad defensively. Banchero is the same on and off the ball, as sometimes he shows flashes but most of the time he is uninterested and lacks focus to be a good defender. Banchero’s body is already NBA ready but at some point he will have to try on defense for it to actually work.
The bottom line is, Paolo Banchero will be a great offensive player and have a long career in the NBA but his defense and effort will keep him back from being a superstar. If a team’s goal is to sell tickets then Paolo Banchero is your guy and you can talk yourself into taking him #1. With that being said if your goal is to win an NBA title (it should be) then Banchero is not the #1 pick and I worry about his ability to ever be that guy. Only time will tell if Banchero can fix his clear holes.
Career Projection: 5x All-Star, Career Starting Power Forward
