Orlando Magic's Paolo Banchero Sees Massive Jump in NBA Player Rankings

Last season, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero started all 72 games he appeared in while averaging a team-high 20 points per game en route to winning the 2023 Rookie of the Year.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero left little doubt last season that he was more than deserving of his selection at No. 1 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. While starting all 72 games he appeared in, he averaged a team-high 20 points per game to go along with 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists en route to winning the 2023 Rookie of the Year.

As a result, ESPN has him ranked as the 30th-best player in the league headed into this season after he was ranked No. 82 to begin last year.

But is this a bit too high?

ESPN has Banchero ranked over guys like Kyrie Irving (No. 34), Ja Morant (No. 35), DeMar DeRozan (No. 39), James Harden (No. 43) and others. And while these players all have some understandable reasons for falling a bit in the preseason player rankings, they're all proven stars in the league.

Here's why ESPN ranked Banchero at No. 30:

"Banchero became the first No. 1 pick since Ben Simmons in 2017-18 to win Rookie of the Year, leading all first-year players with 20 PPG," ESPN wrote. "Banchero especially excelled at drawing fouls. He was just the third rookie this century to average more than seven free throw attempts per game (7.4)."

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) dunks the ball during the second half against the Golden State Warriors at Amway Center / © Mike Watters, USA TODAY

One could argue that, despite Banchero's talent, this ranking is a bit of a reach after just one season in the NBA. If Banchero had gone on a historical run and led Orlando to the NBA Finals as a rookie, then he'd be a legit top-15 player headed into his second season.

But to no fault of his own, both he and the team are still growing and have a lot to prove. Banchero's rookie season was a breath of fresh air for a team that's been looking for its first big franchise star since Dwight Howard, but the Magic still finished with a 34-48 record and were the third-worst team in the Eastern Conference.

Regardless of rankings, Banchero already seems ready to lead the Magic back to the playoffs this season. Orlando's 2022-23 campaign begins on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at home against the Houston Rockets.