Magic Rookie Banchero: What's the No. 1 Pick’s Defensive Potential?

In his lone season at Duke, Banchero ranked 11th in the ACC in defensive rating at 98.1 and tenth in total blocks with 36.

Nearly every knock on Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero in pre-draft evaluations all came back to the defensive side of the ball.

But through two Summer League appearances, not only did he put those doubts did rest, but also proved just how viable he can be on that end.

“High basketball IQ players who the biggest thing they’re lacking defensively is actually trying,” The Dunc’d On Podcast said. “Improvement from that point is both easier and more likely than for the other reasons that a player could be deficient defensively and I think we got a whole lot more ammunition for that argument watching [Banchero] in Summer League.”

In his lone season at Duke, Banchero ranked 11th in the ACC in defensive rating at 98.1 and tenth in total blocks with 36.

His shot-blocking ability to translate to the next level showed especially in their second outing against the Sacramento Kings.

After rejecting one earlier in the game, Banchero made a miraculous game-saving block off an alley-oop attempt in double overtime.

“I thought moving his feet looked pretty good,” Dunc’d On said. “That was kind of my position coming in, I thought he showed more rim protection than expected.”

“That big block, and that was something seeing it in person was very impressive, his explosion off of two feet around the basket.”

While his offensive ceiling was the catalyst of being the projected No. 1 pick since his high school days, the basketball world has not yet seen Banchero’s true potential on the defensive side of the ball.