Paolo Banchero Continues to Exceed Expectations this Season, All While Rocking the Jordan Brand
Many NBA defenders have now felt the left shoulder of Paolo Banchero. And they have really felt it. When he drops it down into their chests on his bulldozing drives to the rack, he’s pushed them all the way out the way. Banchero’s stronger than your average rookie, better at ball than your average rookie and definitely more physical than your average rookie. After he’s cleared the space with his shoulder, he’s finished body-to-body lays and dunks. The man can jump.
He can shoot.
He can pass.
He doesn’t back down.
The Jordan Brand seems to have found another youngster with a transcendent physical ability and a high level of skill. Already at 20 points a game and 70 percent shooting near the rim, he’s going for an average of 8 free throws a game—11th in the entire League, as we head to press. That left shoulder is doing its job.
Don’t get it twisted because Paolo can also shoot. The Celtics found that out when he went 6-7 from distance against them in December.
Yeah, the 20-year-old can go. For real, for real.
He’s done most of his damage in the Jordan Zion 2, the sneaker his fellow powerful Duke Blue Devil brother uses for all of his own physicality. Banchero has worn multiple colorways of the 2, as well as the Air Jordan 37 and the Air Jordan 37 Low. His (so far) career-high of 33 points was scored against the Kings while in the 37 Low.
It was Howard “H” White’s job to publicly welcome Banchero to the Brand. The Vice President of Jordan Brand took Banchero to the same exact restaurant in Hillsboro, OR, that made him late to a meeting with No. 23 all the way back in 1984.
This time, in 2023, almost 40 years later, he made sure that he was there for Banchero.
Photo via Getty Images.
