The power forward rankings are now known. But are they right?
HoopsHype has released a ranking of all the power forwards. in the NBA and places Orlando’s Paolo Banchero among the third best power forwards in the NBA. That was fairly generous but inaccurate.
The list places New Orleans Pelicans star power forward Zion Williamson in second place, just ahead of Banchero. Last year, Williamson led the Pelicans to a nearly 50-win season and played in 70 games. He averaged 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and five assists per game. He led his team to the play-in tournament, but they were defeated by LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers and ultimately swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
On the other hand, Orlando Magic star power forward Banchero slipped into third place on the list, just below Williamson. Last year, Banchero led the magic Banchero is fifth in the Eastern Conference with 47 wins and 80 games played. That’s 10 games more than Williamson. Banchero has proven to be more resilient than Williamson.
Banchero also averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game, a better stat line than Williamson during the 2023-24 season. He led his team to a fifth-place finish and gave the Cleveland Cavaliers everything they wanted before being eliminated in seven games.
Paolo Banchero has worked hard and proven himself to be the second-best power forward in the NBA behind Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. He had a better year than Williamson last year and showed more promise than any second-year player in NBA history except LeBron James or Luka Doncic. Banchero even outplayed Williamson when they faced off last year.
On March 21, the New Orleans Pelicans visited the Magic at the Kia Center in Orlando and got demolished. In that game, Banchero was matched up against Williamson and held him below his average. Williamson finished the game with just 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists with a plus/minus of zero.
Banchero’s defense on Williamson was incredible and he looked to be a point-forward on the offensive side of the ball. Banchero finished the game with a triple-double, recording 20 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, as the Magic beat the Pelicans 121-106.
On April 3, the Orlando Magic traveled to New Orleans to face Zion and the Pelicans at the Smoothie Center and outclassed him on his home court. Like in the first meeting, Banchero was matched up against Williamson and once again held him below his average. The Pelicans big man finished the game with just 15 points, 2 rebounds, and 5 assists. Meanwhile, Banchero finished with 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Banchero largely dominated Zion twice last year, which makes me wonder why HoopsHype would rank Zion above Banchero. It seems to be based more on hype than on-court results between the two power forwards.
This has to be based on the hype surrounding Williamson coming out of Duke versus Banchero. Williamson was the undisputed first overall pick in 2019 and didn’t quite live up to expectations. Banchero wasn’t the consensus first overall pick heading into the draft. Most mock draft boards had Jabari Smith Jr. selected ahead of him. Banchero has exceeded expectations, while Williamson hasn’t to some extent.
Long story short, Paolo Banchero is the second-best power forward in the NBA, and he’s getting closer and closer to Giannis Antetokounmpo as he continues to improve.
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