Paolo Banchero Still Leads Latest NBA Rookie Ladder

Another stellar week sees Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero reign supreme in the latest NBA Rookie Ladder.

Orlando Magic prized rookie forward Paolo Banchero is coming off another productive week, enough to help him reclaim his spot at the top of the NBA Rookie Ladder. The Magic may have been struggling to rack up the wins, but Banchero is still in excellent form. Through his first 11 NBA games, the 20-year-old power forward is logging 34.6 minutes, while putting up an all-around stat line of 23.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks per contest. Banchero ranks second among Magic players in Player Efficiency Rating (19.3), while also having the team’s highest usage rate (30.3%).

Even while carrying a heavy workload in his first year in the league, Banchero is doing his job in a very efficient manner. He is holding his own on both ends of the floor, and there’s no question that you might not recognize that he is just a first-year player when you watch him play. It’s just unfortunate that the Magic doesn’t have the weaponry to properly contend this season, especially with current injuries to key cogs Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, and Jonathan Isaac.

Joining Banchero in the recent NBA Rookie Ladder is Indiana Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin, who also ranked 2nd in the previous edition. Rounding out the Top 5 are Jaden Ivey of the Detroit Pistons, Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings, and Tari Eason of the Houston Rockets. The next five rookies named in the list are Jabari Smith Jr. of the Rockets, Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers, Jake LaRavia of the Memphis Grizzlies, Christian Koloko of the Toronto Raptors, and Shaedon Sharpe of the Portland Trail Blazers.