The NBA has seen a heated debate over its next generational face, with many expecting young stars like Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Edwards to carry the league forward. Edwards, in particular, recently made headlines when he admitted he didn’t want the responsibility of being the NBA’s face. In light of this, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has weighed in, offering his take on who else deserves to be part of the discussion.
After the Warriors’ 121-115 victory over the Orlando Magic, Green praised Magic star Paolo Banchero as a young talent who deserves more recognition in this ongoing debate.
“I’ve been a Paolo fan since he was at Duke. He’s a special, special player,” Green said in his postgame remarks. “But if I’m honest, I think he got so much more [that] he can do. I think he got so much more room to grow. I believe Paolo is one of those young guys that he continues to grow at the rate he should and is capable of”.
“He’s one of those guys… you know, you keep hearing this talk about the faces of the NBA, the next young faces of the NBA – he’s one of those guys that could and should be in that conversation,” Green added.
Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic handles the ball during a game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Banchero’s impactful performance vs. Warriors
In the Warriors-Magic matchup, Banchero led Orlando with a dominant performance, scoring 41 points, grabbing six rebounds, dishing out five assists, and recording two steals.
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It marked his second 40-point game of the season, making him just the third player in Magic history to log multiple 40-point games in consecutive seasons, alongside NBA legends Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O’Neal.
Green sees bright future for Banchero
Despite Banchero’s success, Green noted that an early-season oblique injury slowed his progress but expressed confidence in the 21-year-old’s ability to excel moving forward.
“I think he was really on his way to it, and then the injury came earlier this year and kind of slowed him down a bit,” Green said. “Paolo is one of the better players in our league, man. What is he, 21? 22 years old, something like that?”
The Warriors forward also shared that he offered advice to Banchero after the game, believing the young star has a few adjustments to make before unlocking his full potential.
“I said something to him after the game,” Green admitted. “I won’t share that, I’ll keep that between me and him, but I think he has a couple of things that he can change to help him take that next step. And when he do, hopefully I’m on my way out”.
