Paolo Banchero NBA Draft timeline: Magic blow up mock drafts by selecting Duke star

Jordan Greer

Paolo Banchero NBA Draft timeline: Magic blow up mock drafts by selecting Duke star image

It didn't take long for the 2022 NBA Draft to deliver its first shocking moment.

The Magic kicked off Thursday night's event by selecting Duke's Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick, blowing up several mock drafts that predicted Auburn's Jabari Smith Jr. and Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren would be the first two players off the board. Smith was the No. 1 pick in mock drafts for The Sporting News, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, Bleacher Report and The Ringer.

Banchero didn't even have an official visit or go through a workout with the Magic during the pre-draft process, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, only adding to the surprising nature of the pick.

How quickly did Banchero's standing shift? Let's take a look back at the reporting from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA's leading insider.

SN's NFL DRAFT HQ
Live picks tracker | Final Mock Draft: Two-round edition | Top 60 big board with player comparisons

Paolo Banchero NBA Draft timeline

8:41 a.m. ET — Wojnarowski reports that the order of the first three picks — Smith, Holmgren and Banchero — is growing "increasingly firm."

7:40 p.m. ET — Wait, what? Banchero is suddenly in the mix?

7:55 p.m. ET — Banchero is suddenly "looming as the frontrunner" to be the top pick.

8:09 p.m. ET — Oh, so this is really happening.

8:15 p.m. ET — The Magic make it official.

"I can't believe what just happened, honestly," Banchero told ESPN's Monica McNutt. "I never would've thought that this would happen. ... I didn't know I would be here, man."

You're not alone, Paolo.

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.