This past year, the Orlando Magic won the draft lottery, granting the team their top prize, F Paolo Banchero. Paolo has shown that he has the ability to be a top tier offense initiator, creating opportunities through pick and roll, drive and kicks, as well as being able to isolate his defender and win 1v1. The Magic were reportedly so confident in Banchero, that they decided to skip his workout (doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but Magic gonna Magic). Paolo could develop into a star very quickly, but will the team be able to compete with other NBA contenders this year?
Regular Season Magic
Mediocrity is the worst place to be in the NBA, as teams who often fight for what are now “play-in spots”, find themselves not good enough to go deep in the playoffs, and not bad enough to garner a top lottery pick. This Magic roster has the ability to win 30-35 games if all of the pieces can fit together (and trust me, there are a lot of pieces). But winning that many games puts Orlando in a place they don’t want to be. Paolo Banchero is a signifier of what could be in the future, not a sign to start competing now.
Wembanyama as a Prospect
If the Magic do decide to take a pass this year, they will be entered into the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. The French 7’4 Center is one of the most intriguing and unique prospects to ever enter the NBA, and likely the best prospect since LeBron James. He has the ability to space the floor, block shots, bring the ball up the floor, and it all looks so smooth for a guy that is 7’4. His abilities were put on display this past week in a Las Vegas showcase against #2 prospect Scoot Henderson (a man who deserves an article in his own right), where Wembanyama exploded, averaging 36.5 points per game, to go with 4.5 blocks AND threes made per game.
“Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but he’s more like an alien. No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and graceful as he is on the floor” – Former MVP LeBron James
Thus far, Wembanyama may be the best prospect of all time. The fluidity of his movement, as well of his on court defensive presence can change the identity of a team immediately. Wembanyama also comes equipped with a full cupboard of post moves, including a beautiful deep fade that could be one of the most unblockable shots of all time. There is nothing that this man can’t do on a basketball court. The question of whether he is worth tanking for is certainly a yes, as it is reported that Wembanyama could add 500 million dollars worth of value to a team immediately, but would he fit with the Magic and Paolo Banchero?
Is Wembanyama a Good Fit?
So much of basketball isn’t shown on a box score; off ball movement, hustle, and much of defense can’t be quantified into numbers. This is another area where Wembanyama shines. He knows his place on the court, when to take over, when to take the extra pass, when to switch on screens, or when to roll or pop off a screen. He does all of the little things right, and often his teammates are made better because of this. Many of the same terms can be used to describe Paolo, which is why I believe they would fit wonderfully together. Both players have high IQ and make the right play over and over. If the Magic could somehow find a way to secure the number 1 pick in back to back years, Wembanyama and Banchero could be a championship winning duo for years to come.