Sports Illustrated

If it feels like the 2021 draft just happened, and it’s way too soon to start thinking about next year, well … you’re not totally wrong. But here we go again. NBA teams have already begun preparing for the season ahead and familiarizing themselves with the upcoming draft class, and with that in mind, so have we. Two prospects are at the forefront of the NBA’s discussion as potential No. 1 picks: Duke’s Paolo Banchero and Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren. The top pick is a toss-up between them right now. I loosely canvassed a range of front-office personnel over the past few weeks and heard arguments for both players—suffice it to say there’s not a whole lot separating them yet, and it will be an ongoing story line to monitor throughout the season. Banchero is viewed as an unusually bankable, low-risk prospect, whereas Holmgren comes with a bit more risk but perhaps more upside. Both are oversize playmaking forwards who fill similar roles in concept, but their styles of play are extremely different, creating some fascinating contrast. Conveniently, Duke and Gonzaga meet in Las Vegas on Nov. 26, which promises to be one of the more consequential games in this draft cycle.