Bol Bol compared to Victor Wembanyama by Paolo Banchero: “Everyone talks about the Victor dude from France...but Bol's a freak of nature"

Bol Bol has had an incredible breakout season so far after finding success with the Orlando Magic. Following a three-year stint in Denver that only saw him play 53 total games, Bol has now begun to average career highs across the board. At the same time, another 7-foot prospect is tearing it up – Victor Wembanyama.

The 18-year-old 7-foot-3 star has been touted as the greatest prospect in the history of basketball. Despite being so early in his career, Wembanyama has been touted as being so NBA ready that he exceeds the expectations of LeBron James at this stage. Projected to be the clear-cut No. 1 draft pick, Wembanyama's combination of size, skill and touch seem superhuman.

According to the Orlando Magic's Paolo Banchero, however, Bol Bol is already doing many of the things teams hope Wembanyama will do at the NBA level. Between his career averages and sudden emergence as one of the league's best two-way big men, Bol Bol seems poised to make a run at the Most Improved Player award.

“Everyone talks about the Victor dude from France," said Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft. "I’m not trying to compare them, but Bol’s 7-foot-2, shoots 3s, brings it up the court, makes passe, and blocks shots. I feel like people kind of forget about him, but Bol’s a freak of nature.”

He touched on why Bol hasn't gotten the attention he deserves so far:

“I don’t think any of us have been surprised by him. He was highly touted coming out of high school, and in the games he played in college, he dominated. He’s been capable his whole life. From the first day I got on the court with him in the summer, it was obvious. I was like, 'I don’t know how this guy hasn’t been playing.'"

The comments came during an interview with HoopsHype, where Banchero and other players were interviewed about Wembanyama and Bol Bol.

Below you can see some of Bol's highlights from this season.

How did Bol Bol play so few games before joining the Magic?

Bol Bol with the Denver Nuggets

Given that Bol Bol is having a breakout season, many have questioned how he managed to go three seasons without performing like this.

In his first three years, Bol did the best in his rookie season, averaging 12.4 minutes per game. After that, he averaged just 5.0 and 5.8 the next two seasons.

So far, the son of NBA legend Manute Bol has played in 21 games this season, while averaging a career-high 13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. In addition, he's also averaging a career-high field goal percentage of 60.1% to prove his efficiency.

"He’s ultra-talented at 7-foot-2, can shoot pull-up 3s and block shots all around the court," Banchero said. "He moves like a 6-foot-5 shooting guard. It’s crazy.”

You can catch Bol Bol in action on Wednesday when the Magic (5-16) host the Atlanta Hawks (11-10), one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta, on a three-game losing skid, is 4-7 in its last 11 games.

Below you can see Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving speaking about Bol's recent 45-point game.