NBA Draft 2022: Should the Orlando Magic take Paolo Banchero or Chet Holmgren?
The NBA Draft Lottery is officially complete with the Orlando Magic receiving the number one pick. Orlando was fortunate to receive the first pick in this year’s draft as many people agree there are a couple of franchise-changing prospects at the top of this year’s draft.
The first thing that Orlando must do is narrow down their choices. Many would argue that there are four possibilities. More realistically, there are three possibilities as it doesn’t seem likely that Jaden Ivey will go number one. If the Magic are smart, there should only be two players they’re considering: Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero.
The Case for Chet Holmgren
Chet Holmgren has been called a once-in-a-generation player. He’s been called a unicorn. What he hasn’t been called yet is the number one pick in the draft by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. This is by no means a critique of Holmgren, but more of a testament to how good Paolo Banchero is.
Holmgren’s skillset starts at the defensive end. At seven feet tall, Holmgren’s 7’6 wingspan is where his defensive value comes from. Holmgren blocked 3.7 shots per game and had a 32.4 defensive bayesian performance rating (Evanmiya.com). Holmgren’s total BPR was 73.3 which was the highest of any player in college basketball last season.
On the offensive end, Holmgren might not have wowed people with his numbers, but on tape, he certainly looks the part at that end of the court. For one, Chet was not the featured offensive player for Gonzaga. That title belonged to Drew Timme and even Andrew Nembhard at times. Holmgren did, however, average 14 points per game and shot 39% from three. He also displayed impressive ball-handling skills for a seven-footer.
There is also an external factor when it comes to Chet. Last season, the Magic drafted Jalen Suggs with the fifth overall pick. Suggs and Holmgren not only both went to Gonzaga (at different times of course), but played together at Minnehaha Academy in Minnesota. The instant chemistry could be something that opens Orlando’s eyes come time to make the selection.