NBA news: No.1 draft pick Paolo Banchero embraces 'high expectations' at Orlando Magic

Despite not being the favourite to do so, Paolo Banchero was named the No.1 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, with Orlando Magic picking up the 6ft 10" forward.

The 19-year-old revealed that he decided to not even inform Orlando themselves about his decision until about 30 seconds before NBA Commissioner Adam Silver took to the draft stage.

He now has less than a week to celebrate before beginning work outs with Orlando ahead of the July 7 NBA Summer League.

But while all the media buzz is bound to overwhelm Banchero following the Draft, the Seattle-born star is ready to embrace the expectations that come with being No.1.

"It all happened pretty fast," Banchero said.

"There's going to be high expectations for myself that I'm going to hold myself to and that everyone is going to hold myself to.

"But I feel like it's nothing I'm not used to. It was the same thing for me heading into college, throughout high school, a lot of expectations. It's been like that my whole life."

Jabari Smith Jr. was initially tipped to be the first pick, especially after he attended a workout with Orlando ahead of the draft.

But head coach Jamahl Mosley surprised everyone by instead opting for Banchero, who hadn't attended a single workout before being selected.

Mosley explained his decision after the draft, suggesting that Banchero was simply a better fit for his squad.

"There's things that you're grabbing from each one that you're like, 'Oh, man, wow, that can be great for us,'" he said.

"But then it ultimately comes down to, 'How does that fit for us? How do we jel with them in the locker room? How are they treating people when they're walking in?' Because all those pieces play a factor. And I think we've done an incredible job with those details."