With Summer League wrapped up in Vegas and the NBA set to go dark (outside of a potential Kevin Durant or Donovan Mitchell trade), here's a look at what I heard from various people while in Vegas and some bettable angles.
Let's start with the rookies and their ROY chances.
1. Paolo Banchero (+350): No one looked better in Vegas among the rookies, period.
“I would put Paolo on a tier by himself, then a gap, and then start with the other guys,” one talent evaluator said, reflecting the common consensus.
It wasn't the skill, which everyone already knew was present, it was how strong and polished Banchero looked. He looked bigger and tougher than most of his matchups and yet was still handling and creating with the ball in his hands.'
Carmelo Anthony was the most consistent comp made for him, which is pretty high praise for where Anthony was as a rookie.'
“Defense is not going to be a priority for him,” one scout said, “But with with that skillset, he doesn't have to in the league.”'
Banchero's rebounding was a concern. In his second game, he had no rebounds in the first half before committing and grabbing six in the second two frames.'
Overall, Banchero looked like the player most deserving of the No. 1 pick and the player most ready to be a franchise guy for Orlando.'