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NBA Draft 2022: 5 most overrated prospects

By Rucker Haringey

Apr 2, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; Sweat flies through the air as Duke Blue Devils forward Paolo Banchero (5) saves a ball from going out of bounds against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half during the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament Final Four semifinals at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 2, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; Sweat flies through the air as Duke Blue Devils forward Paolo Banchero (5) saves a ball from going out of bounds against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the second half during the 2022 NCAA men's basketball tournament Final Four semifinals at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA Draft, Paolo Banchero
Apr 2, 2022; New Orleans, LA, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Paolo Banchero (5) drives to the basket against North Carolina Tar Heels guard Caleb Love (2) during the second half in the 2022 NCAA men’s basketball tournament Final Four semifinals at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Paolo Banchero

Calling the consensus No. 3 overall prospect in this year’s draft class is a bold move. The former Duke star has an extremely high floor as a player due to his advanced offensive skill. His struggles to become a star will largely come on the other end of the floor.

Optimistic scouts believe Banchero’s defensive productivity will improve dramatically with an increase in his effort level. He didn’t appear to try to stop many opposing players during his one-year tenure at Duke. That will change at the NBA level but he’s not going to suddenly become a plus player on that end of the floor.

Watching his college tape gives off some serious Jabari Parker vibes. Both guys looked great offensively for Duke but didn’t show any ability to guard on the perimeter. Banchero is going to score at the next level, but he’ll be absolutely hunted on defense. That makes taking him in the top-5 a major gamble for a bad team looking to build an actual title contender.

Next. NBA Draft 2022: 5 prospects with All-Star potential. dark

Evaluating Banchero’s rookie season should not be done strictly by his counting stats. He’ll put up plenty of points and rebounds. The dividing line for him as a prospect will be proving he can be a multi-position defender on the wing. If he fails that test he’s going to struggle to impact the win total for the team that drafts him.

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