Orlando Magic swingman Paolo Banchero was notably missing from All-Star weekend this year. After making his debut appearance in 2024, he has yet to appear since, drawing some questions among fans and critics. As for what happened in this campaign, Paolo did not mince words in a recent chat with Andscape’s Marc Spears.
“I’m always honest with myself,” Banchero told Andscape. “I looked in the mirror first. Over the All-Star break, I watched a lot of film over the early part of the season. I just wasn’t happy with what I put out. Some of that had to do with me being injured and coming back.”
Instead of being salty or angry about his All-Star snub, Banchero took it as an opportunity to reflect. He realized that instead of being angry at the voters, he could redirect the frustration to work on honing his mindset and maximizing his effectiveness on the floor.
“I could’ve had a better mindset, and that was part of it,” Banchero added. “But I know I’m an All-Star in this league. My confidence is still the same. It’s about being honest with yourself and realizing that you didn’t really deserve to be an All-Star, honestly. It’s about taking that with a grain of salt and being better in the second half of the season.”
Paolo, the former No. 1 pick in 2022, was supposed to be the new face of Magic basketball and lead them to a state of prosperity in the East. For a while, alongside Franz Wanger, he was living up to the hype before injuries got in the way.
Last season (2024-25), he played just 46 games for the Magic, resulting in him not making the All-Star team despite a career-high scoring mark of 25.9 points per game (on 45.2% shooting), along with 7.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. In this campaign, the only noticeable difference has been a decline in production across the board.
Down to 22.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks on 46.5% shooting per game this season, Banchero hasn’t made the leap we all expected. In fact, he’s having one of his worst seasons yet, and the Magic, as a team, have been just as underwhelming. At 7th in the East (35-28), not even the addition of Desmond Bane has been enough to put them on the same tier as the Pistons, Celtics, and Knicks.
The truth is, until Paolo lives up to his potential, this version of the Magic will never meet expectations. They are built around his success, and it only puts more pressure on him to succeed. The good news is, Banchero is self-aware enough to know that his own play is why he failed to make the All-Star cut this year. He’s up for the challenge of getting better, no matter how long it takes.
