Why Coach K thinks NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero is the ‘perfect package’
Paolo Banchero played his lone college season at Duke under the highest of pressure as the Blue Devils sought championships in the final season of Mike Krzyzewski’s Hall of Fame coaching career.
When he arrived in the NBA with Orlando last summer, the Magic were only in position to select him with the No. 1 overall pick because they’d produced a horrid 22-60 record the prior season. Far less pressure there, at least to begin with.
But whether high pressure or low, Banchero once again delivered, averaging 20 points per game to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
Krzyzewski told the News & Observer this week Banchero’s solid approach to any situation is why he found so much success so quickly in the NBA.
“Whenever I watched him play, the climate there in Orlando,” Krzyzewski said, “one, a lot wasn’t expected of their team. That could even put more pressure. But, instead, it seemed like it just fit well, you know? He seemed so comfortable playing.”
The 6-10 Banchero scored 20 or more points 40 times as a rookie, surpassing the 30-point mark six times. The Magic collected 12 more wins than a year ago, finishing 34-48.
“His ability to impact winning and want to impact winning,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said Wednesday during a team event to celebrate Banchero’s award in Orlando. “Whatever that took. And he’s carried that over to the team and he’s carried that over to our guys.”
Banchero received 98 of 100 first-place votes in the rookie of the year award balloting. Krzyzewski said that’s about right. Well, almost.
“Such a well-earned, and should have been unanimous, pick,” Krzyzewski said. “He had a tremendous year.”
At Duke, Banchero played in all 39 games when the Blue Devils went 32-7, won the ACC regular-season championship and reached the Final Four in Krzyzewski’s final season as their head coach. He played 33 minutes per game.
With the Magic, he played in 72 of the team’s 82 games, averaging 33.7 minutes per game.
“The consistency every night,” Krzyzewski said, “where you could depend on major output from him in minutes. That’s something that, it’s not as common as people think in the NBA.”
Wednesday in Orlando, Banchero told reporters his dreams of being the No. 1 overall pick, and then immediately succeeding, were top of mind while he was still in high school in Seattle.
“This award means a lot to me because towards the end of my high school career, I started to put my eye on the NBA and made a lot of goals that I wanted to achieve, and Rookie of the Year was one of them,” Banchero said.
Krzyzewski saw the drive and competitiveness while coaching him with the Blue Devils. He also saw a player who craved being coached hard because he wanted to perform at his best.
“A lot has to be said for his family,” Krzyzewski said. “His mom and dad are just such good people and down to earth and realistic. He’s not surrounded by lies. He’s surrounded by the truth and support.”
Seeing Banchero win NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming the fourth former Duke player to do so, did not surprise Krzyzewski. He saw it last year and told teams with picks at the top of the draft.
“When he was being looked at, I told the few teams that I asked, I said look, he’s the best player in the draft,” Krzyzewski said. “In addition to that, he’s coachable. He doesn’t feel like he’s got it yet. He wants to work. It’s the perfect package: Young talent, coachable, great support system with loads of potential. He’s gonna be really a special player.”