1: PF/C Paolo Banchero
There’s no need for the Knicks to trade up to the No. 1 or No. 2 pick and that’s what would need to happen for New York to land 2022 ACC Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero.
If the Knicks do trade up, fans will only be happy if it’s to get Purdue’s Jaden Ivey. Banchero’s played in the four and five spot for the Blue Devils but he possesses the skill set of a guard.
The 19-year-old is averaging a team-high 17 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks in the 23 games that he’s played in for Duke. Banchero is shooting 51.1% from the field, 27.5% from beyond the arc, and 73.8% from the free-throw line.
Paolo Banchero’s game would transform the New York Knicks.
Banchero’s game is dynamic on the offensive end. At six-foot-10 and 250 pounds, he’s great at producing points by attacking the rim. If he can improve his percentage from the charity stripe, he’s going to be even more successful at the professional level.
His impact on the defensive end needs improvement but if that’s something that he can develop in the NBA, he’s going to be a dual-threat.
While it’d be something to see one of the best one-and-done Blue Devils to call Madison Square Garden his home, Banchero’s most likely going to go elsewhere.
If New York’s front office decides to pick either Keels or Griffin, the Knicks should consider luring Mike Krzyzewski out of retirement to take Thibodeau’s place. I’m only kidding (maybe).
New York could soon become synonymous with ‘The Brotherhood’ and if that’d mean that the Knicks could enjoy a sliver of the success that the Blue Devils have had, why not?
Be sure to tune in to watch Duke face Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Mar. 18 at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS.
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