It's also not far-fetched to envision a front office executive not having the most faith in the Banchero archetype. It's possible that the issues are effort and focus rather than ability and can be rectified in the right environment with the right tutelage. But remember - we're talking about a 19-year-old kid. The book on Banchero so far is that he lacks focus defensively - that could be a killer down the road for a playoff team in a modern NBA where ungodly amounts of responsibility are placed upon big men to anchor the interior while switching onto guards and making smart rotations on the perimeter. This is presumably because a team with Simmons as a major cog will eventually run into issues in the postseason due to his shooting woes. Remember that Stone avoids outcomes with clear eventual ceilings, as any smart general manager would - he took Brooklyn's package of unprotected draft picks over Philadelphia's offer of Ben Simmons during last season's James Harden sweepstakes despite Simmons being the biggest name being offered amongst suitors. I don't think it's likely but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility.
3 to take someone like Purdue's Jaden Ivey and pick up an extra asset in the process. I think its misguided to just summarily dismiss the possibility of Rafael Stone trading down from No. I just think the floor (elite 3&D wing) is too much to pass up in a draft like this one where each of the top guys have question marks. If you asked me today, Smith is still my preferred option.
I started off with Banchero as my top choice, spent a few weeks with Holmgren as my preferred, and eventually landed on Smith. I've been all over the place since the start of the college season in regards to my draft board.
Had you told me back in December that the Rockets would be in position to secure Banchero for their frontcourt, I probably would have gone into cardiac arrest. This could obviously change, but that would leave Duke's Paolo Banchero for the taking to the Rockets at No. Almost all of the intel I've seen suggests that Auburn's Jabari Smith Jr., and Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren will be the top two picks, in some order. Given that there's no clear top prospect in this year's NBA Draft, it's up in the air as to who will be the first pick in the draft on June 23. Facebook Twitter Email LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 26: Paolo Banchero #5 of the Duke Blue Devils gestures after hitting a 3-pointer against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the Continental Tire Challenge at T-Mobile Arena on Novemin Las Vegas, Nevada.