Rockets' Draft: Paolo Banchero's Leadership is an Underrated Aspect Of His Game

The Houston Rockets are targeting Paolo Banchero with their top selection of the 2022 NBA Draft, and his most significant acquisition could be his leadership.

HOUSTON — When the Duke Blue Devils punched their ticket to the 2022 Men's Basketball Tournament in March — they did so as an underdog.

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 the Houston Rockets are eyeing with their No. 3 selection. And Houston 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 Rockets need entering the second year 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.

During the Rockets' exit interview in April, Jalen Green revealed that not everyone was on the same page last season. Coach Krzyzewski acknowledged Banchero's leadership by implying the admiration the locker room exhibited for the 19-year-old forward — despite being a freshman.

"I think everyone needs to be on the same page," Green said. "I felt like there were times everyone was not on the same page. There were things we let affect us. I believe being locked in on both sides of the ball will help us have one goal." 

The potential of the Rockets 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.