Paolo Banchero Is Not ‘The Guy,’ Claims Ex-Magic Star, Drawing Parallel to Heat Legend’s Misfortune

Paolo Banchero gets a rare scream! The Orlando Magic Despite his exceptional statistics, Banchero found himself in the shadow of the NBA’s dominant stars. After winning the ROYT Award, Banchero received his first All-Star honors in his second year. Still, the 21-year-old still seemed overlooked and underrated, according to former NBA player Gilbert Arenas. The 42-year-old even drew parallels between the Magic star’s career and that of a superstar of yesteryear.

The former star not only called Banchero “underrated” came out of nowhere. The young prodigy from Seattle had a historic run in his second year. He became only the 9th player in Magic franchise history to become an All-Star. In addition, he led the team to an impressive run in the playoffs, averaging 27 points and 8.6 rebounds in the first-round series against the Cavs, which they lost in Game 7. He notably became the second player in NBA history to average at least 25 points and 8 rebounds in the playoffs after LeBron James.

In the midst of this remarkable career, Gilbert Arenas, who spent one season with the Magic, emphasized The regrettable fate of Paolo Banchero. Speaking in the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, The former NBA star said: “He’s going to be underestimated. He’s not going to get the credit he deserves. I mean, we can just put that in now… He’s not going to be the guy you say to, “Oh shit! Paulo.” because of the market itself.

Arenas didn’t stop there either. The opinion maker then drew a parallel with Chris Bosh’s career. Before becoming a two-time NBA champion with the Miami HeatThe star spent 7 seasons with the Toronto Raptors, averaging 20.3 points. It’s important to note that he was always in the “underrated” conversation until he teamed up with LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. On that, Arenas said: “Who does he remind you of? Is he like Bosh when Bosh was in Toronto?” And the whole crew unanimously agreed.

Is Paolo Banchero really underrated?

Well, Gilbert Arenas is not the only one to point this out. It is the ROTY winner who can understand another ROYT winner. Victor Wembanyamawho has already had his ups and downs in terms of scoring, has formed a strong opinion. During All-Star week, when a reporter asked him if Banchero was underrated, he openly defended the Magic star.

Wemby said: “I’m surprised no one asked me this before. I’m kind of glad someone finally did because I think he’s one of the most underrated players and one of the No. 1 picks in recent memory. I don’t even understand why.” Additionally, the Spurs center also added: ““He’s someone who I think has a bright future.”

More importantly, Banchero himself answered the question. At the same time, the interviewer told him Wemby’s answer and the Magic star reacted with surprise, saying: “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t underestimated, but that’s just the way it is. I still got the No. 1 Rookie of the Year, so I can’t complain too much. As a competitor and a player, you feel a little shortchanged sometimes, but I don’t let that go to my head. I just try to go out there and put on a show every night.”

With new additions to the roster, will the Magic be able to go deeper in the playoffs? Let us know in the comments.

Before you go, watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where the Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks and more in the video below.