Paolo Banchero talked about Bol Bol reminding people that the OG Victor Wembanyama might already be playing in the NBA.
āEveryone talks about the Victor dude from France.ā
Paolo Banchero talked to HoopsHype recently and discussed Bol Bolās growing candidacy to earn this seasonās Most Improved Player of the Year award.
When asked about his teammateās skill set, Banchero said that he was ānot trying to compare themā and couldnāt help but point out that āBolās 7-foot-2, shoots 3s, brings it up the court, makes passes, and blocks shots.ā
āI feel like people kind of forget about him, but Bolās a freak of nature.ā
Banchero, who himself is vying for another award in the Rookie of the Year race through the first quarter of the season, is not the first one to discuss Bol in advance of up-and-coming, generational talent Victor Wembanyamaās arrival in the USA next summer with the inevitable no. 1 draft pick attached to his name.
In a story written on Tuesday by Damian Burchardt of The Ringer, Bol Bolās exploits on the basketball court are detailed, including his ascension to the forefront of the NBAās big-man field, and the fulfillment of his vast potential.
āIs Bol Bol the original Victor Wembanyama?ā Thatās how sports outlet Clutch Points started a recent story echoing the sentiment of Magic Twitter when it comes to Bol Bol and what heās doing this season. The examples are multiple and they come from an early-November game between Orlando and Sacramento in which Magic fans had plenty of plays to highlight Bolās āWalmart Victor Wembanyamaā skills (h/t Clutch Points).
Banchero himself added that he doesnāt think āany of us have been surprised by him,ā before making it clear that āfrom the first day I got on the court with him in the summer, it was obvious (that Bol would succeed in the NBA)ā.
āHeās ultra-talented at 7-foot-2, can shoot pull-up 3s, and block shots all around the court. He moves like a 6-foot-5 shooting guard. Itās crazy.ā
Bol Bol is having an extraordinarily unique campaign in the 2022 NBA season
Just over a week ago, Josh Wilson wrote about Bol Bol here at FanSided. Although he noted that āit took a few yearsā for Bol to finally get things right, āsomething seems to have clicked with Bol Bol this year.ā
Attempting to compare Bol to über-prospect Wembanyama, Wilson wrote that āBol Bol walked so Wembanyama could run,ā after warning readers that āwe should appreciate this season Bol Bol is putting up without considering itĀ justĀ an appetizer to Wembanyama.ā
Bol is one of only four players in the NBA averaging two-plus blocks per game while hitting more than 0.5 3-point shots per game (heās actually averaging 0.9 3-point makes per game through games played Monday).
Bolās skill set is more than unique, and not even the return of Paolo Banchero last Friday stopped Bol from getting one more gig in the starting lineup ā his 14th in a row getting all the way back to Oct. 28. Heās now started 16 consecutive games and that wonāt change any time soon. In fact, heās coming off getting a season-high 39 minutes of playing time last Monday at Brooklyn.
On the season,Ā Bol is averaging 13+ points, 8+ rebounds, and 2 blocks in 27 minutes per game. Thatās something only Anthony Davis and Myles Turner are doing⦠but playing 34 and 29 minutes per game, respectively,Ā in comparison.
Bol is one of this seasonās early Most Improved Player award favorites, with Vegas odds pegging him as the sixth-leading candidate to earn the accolade when all is said and done.