NBA Draft 2022

Magic taking Paolo Banchero at No. 1 fooled the league and gives us chaos for years to come

After months of speculation, Duke's Paolo Banchero was a surprise selection by the Orlando Magic with the top overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft on Thursday night at Barclays Center. 

Holding his own as an individual defender allowing 0.54 points per one-on-one possession 

After a stunning rise to become the odds-on favorite to go No. 1, Paolo Banchero is officially the first overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft. 

The top three picks in the 2022 NBA Draft all turned out to be big men, as expected, but their order of selection provided a gigantic twist. 

Paolo Banchero 

Paolo Banchero is a talented offensive player whose ability to create his own shot shined as the focal point of an explosive Duke offense 

That's what most mocks were telling you as of early Thursday evening, mere minutes before the 2022 NBA Draft got underway.  

The bigger surprise this year came at the top of the big board. Earlier Thursday, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas essentially had eliminated the 6-foot-10 Banchero

There’s three 6-9, 6-10, 6-11 guys who can dribble, shoot, have high IQs. I think that’s going to be a huge advantage for us 

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What if they held an NBA Draft and it was mainly that — an actual draft instead of a chaotic trade carnival?