Paolo Banchero looks to shed labels
Paolo Banchero is already beginning to shed the label of a "skilled big man" and showing that he is much more than that.
Society loves labels. We place labels on everything - most notably people. You are one thing, and not another. You cannot be this, because you are that.
This is particularly true in the sports world. If you are 6-foot-10, you are a big or post player. If you are 6-feet, you are a point guard. If you are not a point guard, you are an undersized combo guard.
The labels are endless.
Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski detests labels. He reminds us of this revulsion often.
How many times have we heard him say: “You know what, I don’t like to use the word point guard or small forward. I like to call them basketball players”?
A lot. The answer is a lot.
Some roll their eyes in response, while others nod in agreement. Everyone has a different take. And that is fine. But if there is a player that definitely should not have a label slapped on him, it is freshman Paolo Banchero.
The thing is, though, he has been characterized as a skilled post player since he burst onto the national scene as a high school prospect. The problem is that those of us who attached the insignia on him were wrong.
“I feel like people always try to put me in a box, especially coming out of high school,” Banchero said. “I always played my role, whether it was on the wing or in the paint. But every team I was on I was going to try to play that role and master that.”
More often than not during his final two seasons of prep hoops, that role put him in the paint. After all, 6-foot-10 players are not necessarily in abundance in the high school ranks.
“He’s an unbelievable talent.” — Trevor Keels on Paolo Banchero
Banchero played his role and he flourished. Because of that, the skilled big man designation began to take form.
Now we are seeing him in the college ranks. He is no longer the lone 6-foot-10 or taller player on the roster. The responsibility of living in the paint does not fall on his shoulders alone. It is a shared task with the likes of Mark Williams and Theo John.
The result is we are seeing the wing skills that have been there all along on full display. And it is a beautiful thing to behold.
“Being 6-10, 250, it’s just crazy,” fellow freshman Trevor Keels said of Banchero’s ability to play on the wing. “And he can really handle the ball. That’s a rare talent. One thing about “P” is he’s going to pass the ball. He’s not one of them people that’s going to jack up shots. That’s what I love about him. He’s a team player.”
Team player.
We hear that a lot about players. Sometimes it is a guy just being a good teammate and not wanting to throw another player under the bus. But sometimes it is pure honesty. And let’s be clear, Keels is speaking the truth.
That mindset and his approach to the game is something he has been developing since he was really young - with a whole lot of help from his mother, Rhonda Smith-Banchero, who starred at the University of Washington.
“Being younger, I was never the tallest player. Never,” Banchero said. “So growing up, me and my mom, we always worked on all the fundamentals of the game — ball-handling, having a left hand. I was never playing big, so I was always on the outside playing point guard, playing the wing. And as I got taller, once I got comfortable into my body, I was able to fully translate those skills. And I’m still getting better at it. But I’m real comfortable wherever I am on the floor.”
His comfort level was evident when the Blue Devils hosted Winston-Salem State University in an exhibition on Saturday. Sure, the level of competition was not nearly on the level he and his fellow teammates will see on Nov. 9, when Duke plays Kentucky, but the confidence he has in his own abilities is something that will likely not waver no matter the competition.
Even still, there will be a lot to learn about Banchero as tougher opponents take the floor opposite him. How will his skills translate against better players? Can he use his wide range of tools to breakdown plans devised to stop or slow him?
These are all questions that have to be answered.
For now, though, there are plenty of expectations being developed now that he is shedding the label of a skilled big.
One of those predictions is he will be a lot to handle for his opponents. Banchero — in a confident, yet not a brash way — tends to agree.
“I think it just creates a mismatch for whoever,” Banchero said when asked what his guard skills at his size does for him. “If I’ve got a big on me, I can get by him. If I’ve got somebody my size, I can get by him or post him up. If I’ve got somebody smaller, I can post him up.
“Just never trying to do too much. Even though I’ve got all the guard skills, I’m not really trying to show it. I’m just trying to go out there and dominate. Whether that’s on the wing or inside, I’m going to do whatever it takes to win that game.”
Keels also agrees with the notion. Ask him why Banchero is so menacing for opponents and he just smiles.
Then he sums it up as best he can.
“It’s really dangerous for the opponent when you’ve got “P” handling the ball and making passes. He’s an unbelievable talent.”
Great write up. It’s true though. I describe him to a more complete and athletic Jabari Parker. Kid can do everything including play defense. He has what Jabari didn’t his one year at duke, and that’s help in the post. That cannot be understated enough. It will allow him to stay fresh and lead the break even more. I can’t wait to watch him in MSG next week.