Paolo Banchero remains the No. 1 pick in a first-round re-do

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The 2022 NBA rookie class had some strong moments on the court as some players proved why they were so highly touted entering the league last season.

The group, overall, proved to be perhaps deeper than expected as several players had crucial roles for their respective teams. Meanwhile, there were others who struggled to log significant playing time or make a big impact for a variety of reasons.

As a result, some teams are still very happy with their picks from a year ago and wouldn’t change anything. Conversely, there are other teams that would likely welcome a do-over and go in a different direction with their selections from last year.

With that in mind, we took a look at the players and redrafted the class based on what we know after one season. Other factors, such as potential on the court and long-term outlook, were also considered in this early look back at the class.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Original Team Pick: Paolo Banchero

Original Player Draft Position: 1st

The Rookie of the Year was the top first-year player throughout the entire season. He came out of the gate on fire, joining LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only No. 1 picks since the 1969-70 season to record at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in a debut.

Banchero continued that momentum each time he stopped on the court and rarely looked like a rookie. He emerged as the leading scorer on the Magic, posting 20 points per game, and solidified himself as a franchise cornerstone moving forward.

Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images

Original Team Pick: Chet Holmgren

Original Player Draft Position: 2nd

Despite sitting out the season due to a foot injury, Holmgren would likely still be the second player off of the board in a redraft. He has perhaps as much potential as any player in the class and should be in store for a strong rookie campaign.

He is already back out on the court and recently turned in a strong summer league run, averaging 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, two assists and one steal in four games. With Holmgren back, the Thunder look poised to take another step forward next season.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-nba-redraft-paolo-banchero-190839877.html?src=rss

Author : Rookie Wire

Publish date : 2023-08-03 19:08:39

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