The Houston Rockets are building something exciting, and nothing heightens that more than snagging a potential star with the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft next month.
A few candidates stand out. Auburn’s Jabari Smith, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, and Duke’s Paolo Banchero all have star potential, but it’s the Blue Devil who NBA executives say could become the best of the three, according to NBA insider Michael Scotto.
Paolo Banchero
Bob Donnan/USA Today Sports
Paolo Banchero
Jalen Green, Paolo Banchero, and Kevin Porter Jr.
After the draft lottery, one NBA executive spoke highly of the 19-year-old. If the intuition is correct, Banchero should be a no-doubter at No. 1 overall.
“Paolo is probably at the top of that big three for me because he’s the most conservative pick, and he’s consistent,” the anonymous NBA executive said. “I like him in playoff-type situations. He has the ability to make others around him better.”
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Paolo Banchero
Paolo Banchero
Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY
Paolo Banchero
Banchero officially met with the Rockets on Friday, confirming the team’s interest in the offensively-sound, 6-10, 250 forward.
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Banchero was the best player on a Duke team that made its first Final Four in seven years. He averaged 17.2 points per game to go with 7.8 rebounds in his lone season with the Blue Devils before declaring for the draft.
He is also thought to be arguably the best fit in the draft for the Rockets, with his game complimenting both Stephen Silas’ system and Jalen Green’s playstyle as well as any other lottery prospect.
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