NBA Draft 2022: Should the Orlando Magic take Paolo Banchero or Chet Holmgren?

Debunking the weaknesses

The easy criticism of Holmgren since he came into college is that he is too skinny or too light to play in the NBA. While I’m sure many NBA front offices want him to be at more than 194 pounds, a lot of people don’t understand that Holmgren doesn’t use his weight as an advantage on defense.

Holmgren’s length is what makes him an elite rim protector and that should very much continue in the NBA. In the second round, he matched up with Jalen Duren of Memphis. Duren, a potential lottery pick that weighs over 50 pounds more than Holmgren, finished the night with seven points on 3-11 shooting. Adding weight will only help him become a top-level offensive player. He will be one of the best defenders in the league regardless of his weight.

As for Banchero, people critiqued his defense, but the metrics actually don’t dislike him on that end. Defense certainly isn’t his strong suit, but his 24.1 DBPR was third in the ACC last season. He can certainly improve on that end, but his real criticism should be defensive recognition.

This could be an easy fix and it can be difficult for a guy with Paolo’s many offensive abilities, but at times last season, it felt like he could do a better job taking advantage of his matchup. Teams are going to try different things against him and not everyone is going to have the same game plan. Once Banchero learns to recognize smaller defenders in the post, or bigger guys guarding him on the perimeter, he will dominate at the offensive end in the NBA.

The Orlando Magic should get a franchise player with either Holmgren or Banchero. It all depends if they want an instant impact on defense or offense and what their plans are to further strengthen the roster. Both of these guys have superstar potential as well as very high floors. As long as the Magic decide to take one of them and not another prospect, they should get an A+ for the number one pick.