Paolo Banchero gets a rare shout-out! The Orlando Magic forward indeed found himself overshadowed by the dominant stars in the NBA world despite his outstanding numbers. After winning the ROYT award, Banchero went on to receive his first All-Star honors in his sophomore year. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old still seemed overlooked and underappreciated, as per the former NBA player, Gilbert Arenas. The 42-year-old even drew parallels for the Magic star’s career with a superstar from yesteryears.

The ex-star didn’t just call Banchero “underrated” out of nowhere. The young gun from Seattle went on to have a historical run in his sophomore year. He became only the 9th player in Magic’s franchise history to become an All-Star. Moreover, he took the side to an impressive postseason run, averaging 27 points and 8.6 rebounds in the first-round series against the Cavs, which they lost in Game 7. Notably, he became the second player in NBA history to average at least 25 points and 8 rebounds in playoffs after LeBron James.

Amid this remarkable career, Gilbert Arenas, who spent a season with the Magic, pointed out Paolo Banchero’s regrettable destiny. Speaking in the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, the former NBA star said, “He’s going to be underrated. He’s not going to get the credit that he deserves. I mean, we can just put that now… He’s not going to be the guy that you’re going to be like, ‘Oh sh*t! Paulo’ because of just the market itself.” 

Moreover, Arenas didn’t just stop at that. The opinion maker went on to draw a parallel with the career of Chris Bosh. Before becoming a 2x NBA Champ with the Miami Heat, the star had a 7-season-long stint with the Toronto Raptors, averaging 20.3 points. Importantly, he had always been in the ‘underrated’ conversation until he teamed up with LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. Speaking of which, Arenas said, “Who does he remind you of? Is it like Bosh when Bosh was in Toronto?” And the whole crew went on to agree to it unanimously.

Is Paolo Banchero really underrated?

Well, Gilbert Arenas isn’t the only one who pointed it out. It’s the ROTY winner who can understand another ROYT winner. Victor Wembanyama, who has already gone through a rollercoaster ride in terms of rating, has made a strong opinion. During the All-Star week, when an interviewer asked him if Banchero was underrated, he candidly batted for the Magic star.

Wemby said, “I’m surprised nobody asked me before. I’m kind of happy someone finally did because I think he is one of the most underrated players and No. 1 picks in the past years. I don’t even understand why.” Moreover, the Spurs center also added, “he is someone that I think has a bright future.” 

Most importantly, Banchero himself addressed the question. At the same time, the interviewer reached out to him Wemby’s response and the Magic star reacted with a surprise, saying, “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t (believe I was underrated), but it is what it is. I still went No. 1, Rookie of the Year, so I can’t complain too much. As a competitor and player, you do feel slighted in a way sometimes, but I don’t let it get to my head too much. I try to just go out there and put on a show every night.” 

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

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