A lot can change in two seasons, just ask Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero, two former #1 picks whose public perceptions have changed dramatically in that time.
Two years ago, it was Banchero leading an upstart Magic team to the playoffs, earning himself an All-Star nod in the process, one year before Cade Cunningham got his.
While Banchero was making the All-Star team back in 2023-24, Cade was toiling mostly unnoticed on one of the worst teams the NBA has ever seen, complete with a 28-game losing streak that made them the laughingstock of the league.
Times have changed, and with over half of this season down and an All-Star championship in hand, there is no longer any doubt about who the best young player in the Eastern Conference truly is.