Paolo Banchero: Potential Magic No. 1 Pick?

The attention is on Jabari Smith and Chet Holmgren, but could Paolo Banchero sneak in as the top pick?

Duke Blue Devils forward Paolo Banchero isn't the betting favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick for the Orlando Magic, but the underdog status isn't something new for him.

The last time the Blue Devils advanced to the Final Four was in 2015. And given their controversial recognition as the No. 2 seed of the West Region, many believed that Duke would make an early exit during coach Mike Krzyzewski's final tournament run.

But by the end of the 2021-22 campaign, the Blue Devils fell one round shy of the championship game in an 81-77 defeat to the North Carolina Tar Heels in New Orleans. It was a collected efforted by the Blue Devils en route to their first Final Four appearance in seven years. But leading the charge for Duke was a freshman sensation, Paolo Banchero.

Banchero continued to create separation between himself and his collegiate peers during Duke's run to the Final Four. He averaged 18.8 points on .500/.526/.727 shooting splits while recording 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 blocks. But Banchero's best attribute came due to the leadership qualities Duke relied upon to define the odds.

Banchero is entering the 2022 NBA Draft as a consensus top-3 prospect that the Magic could have interest in. And Orlando could be obtaining more than the on-court talents that helped Banchero establish himself as a lottery pick during his lone season at Duke.

"I think he was one of the biggest leaders on the team," Candace Cooper said on the latest episode of Bleav in the Rockets. "When on the court, there were times you wanted him to take the game over because he was the most skilled player on the court. But he would find a happy balance of being a great brother for the brotherhood.

"He [Paolo] made a lasting impression on the university and they will always appreciate his time there."

Banchero's on-court talents overshadow his leadership qualities, but it's a characteristic the Magic need at this stage of their rebuild. Cooper, the host of Locked On ACC, described Banchero as a player who buys into an organization's proposition for the betterment of the team.

The potential of the Magic adding Banchero to their young core could have a positive impact both on and off the court. In 36 career games at Duke, Banchero averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals. Banchero took home ACC Rookie of the Year and First-Team All-ACC honors following his lone campaign at Duke.