Magic's Paolo Banchero: Same NBA 2K Rating As Victor Wembanyama?
As the annual NBA 2K video game emerges its launch date on Sept. 8, the gaming franchise has gradually been releasing the player ratings.
The highest mark a player can achieve is a 99 overall rating. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has the highest rating among active players with a 98.
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero received an 84 overall rating. This is a very solid number and his 20 points, seven rebound and four assist averages are reflective of the rating.
Banchero's start to his NBA career couldn't have gone much better, as the 6-10 power forward became the first rookie since LeBron James to have 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in his NBA debut.
Shortly after, Banchero became the third player in NBA history to score more than 20 points in 15 of his first 20 games as a rookie.
The Magic's record was still subpar (34-48), but he helped the team improve its mark by 12 games. The league recognized all his accolades and donned him the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Banchero's rating is reflective of his numbers, but one rookie has the same rating despite never seeing the NBA hardwood.
The very young franchise cornerstone has the same rating as 2023 first overall pick, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama's 84 rating is the highest-ever for a rookie in the video game's history, beating out New Orleans Pelicans power forward Zion Williamson's 81.
As crazy as Wembanyama's record-breaking rating is, it's reflective of the hype around him. The Frenchman has made NBA analysts drool over his staggering 7-foot-3.5 height combined with his ability to shoot and block shots.
When the NBA community thinks of the most-hyped basketball prospects, the general consensus includes LeBron James, Williamson and Wembanyama.
Nevertheless, like most sports video games, NBA 2K ratings fluctuate throughout the season based on the player's performance. There have been years that a player's rating has gone up/down 10 notches.
It's very unlikely that Banchero and Wembanyama will have the same rating by the NBA All-Star break. If Banchero and the Magic show improvement from last season, he'll likely finish with a higher rating than Wembanyama.
You can follow Hunter De Siver on Twitter @HunterDeSiver.
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