After the Golden State Warriors won the NBA Championship after a 103-90 Game 6 victory against the Boston Celtics on June 16th, the 2021/22 NBA season came to a close.
But now the 2022/23 season is fast approaching as the 2022 NBA Draft took place on June 23rd in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where the Orlando Magic and other NBA franchises made their selections that hopefully for them and their fanbases improve their teams for the upcoming season and years to come.
And when it comes to the Magic’s improvement, they made Duke’s Paolo Banchero their No. 1 overall pick. Make sure to find out more about Banchero and the entire NBA Draft below.
Paolo Banchero Becomes No. 1 Overall Pick
INSTAGRAMIn what was considered a major surprise in the 2022 NBA Draft, Duke forward Paolo Banchero was picked No. 1 by the Orlando Magic. Many originally thought Jabari Smith Jr. was going to be the pick, but he instead fell to the Houston Rockets at the No. 3 pick.
Banchero was surprised himself telling ESPN after being picked, “I don’t even know what to say, I can’t believe what just happened. Honestly.” Banchero who plays forward is looking to improve an Orlando Magic team that went 22-60 this past season into a powerhouse in the NBA’s Eastern Conference that is currently dominated by some impressive teams the likes of the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks to name a few.
A 6-foot-10 forward, Banchero helped bring Duke to the Final Four in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last season. He averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his only season with Duke.
Though Banchero was surprised being picked, he told reporters this past week that he was the best option saying, “I feel like I am the best player in the draft and I feel like I showed that throughout the year. I feel like I showed everything with my skill sets and my intangibles.”
Now he has a chance to prove it, especially since former Orlando Magic No. 1 picks have set lofty goals for Banchero to reach as Shaquille O’Neal was once a No. 1 pick for the franchise.
The Top Picks In The 2022 NBA Draft Revealed
INSTAGRAMThe 2022 NBA draft is underway and The Blast has you covered on all your favorite teams picks throughout. Continue to refresh this page for all the selections and updates from the 2022 NBA Draft. All the picks, the trades and surprises will be below in what is likely to be a very eventful NBA Draft.
1st Round:
1. Magic select Paolo Banchero (Duke)
2. Thunder select Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
3. Rockets select Jabari Smith (Auburn)
4. Kings select Keegan Murray (Iowa)
5. Pistons select Jaden Ivey (Purdue)
6. Pacers select Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)
7. Portland (On the clock)
8. New Orleans (from Los Angeles Lakers) –
9. San Antonio –
10. Washington –
11. New York –
12. Oklahoma City (from LA Clippers) –
13. Charlotte –
14. Cleveland –
15. Charlotte (from New Orleans) –
16. Atlanta –
17. Houston (from Brooklyn) –
18. Chicago –
19. Minnesota
20. San Antonio (from Toronto) –
21. Denver –
22. Memphis (from Utah) –
23. Philadelphia –
24. Milwaukee –
25. San Antonio (from Boston) –
26. Dallas –
27. Miami –
28. Golden State –
29. Memphis –
30. Oklahoma City (from Phoenix) –
2nd Round:
31. Indiana (from Houston via Cleveland)
32. Orlando
33. Toronto (from Detroit via San Antonio, Washington and Chicago)
34. Oklahoma City
35. Los Angeles Lakers (from Orlando via Indiana and Milwaukee)
36. Portland
37. Sacramento
38. San Antonio (from Los Angeles Lakers via Chicago and Washington)
39. Cleveland (from San Antonio via Utah)
40. Minnesota (from Washington via Cleveland)
41. New Orleans
42. New York
43. LA Clippers
44. Atlanta
45. Charlotte
46. Detroit (from Brooklyn)
47. Memphis (from Cleveland via New Orleans and Atlanta)
48. Minnesota
49. Cleveland (from Sacramento via Chicago, Memphis and Detroit)
50. Minnesota (from Denver via Philadelphia)
51. Golden State (from Toronto via Philadelphia)
52. New Orleans (from Utah)
53. Boston
— Milwaukee (forfeited)
— Miami (from Philadelphia via Denver; forfeited by Miami)
54. Washington (from Dallas)
55. Golden State
56. Cleveland (from Miami via Indiana)
57. Portland (from Memphis via Utah)
58. Indiana (from Phoenix)
