Paolo Banchero is going to be a front-runner in the Rookie of the Year race this season. Banchero is the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 Draft and lost his biggest rival for ROTY to injury already, as Chet Holmgren will miss the entire season with a Lisfranc injury he suffered during the offseason.
One way to ensure your name in award races when you’re competing at a high level is availability. The more games Banchero plays, the better his chances to win ROTY. With his age and ability coming into the league, Paolo hopes the Magic put him in the lineup for every single game of the season, barring injury.
"I'm going to play all 82."
Paolo Banchero expects to play every game of his rookie season.@OrlandoMagic | @RickKamlaSports | @ReggieTheus | @NBA |@Pp_doesit pic.twitter.com/2K0ZWdUjNp
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) October 17, 2022
“God forbid, I get hurt or something like that, I am going to play all 82. I’m 19, I’ll be 20 in November. Obviously, I’ll need recovery and rest but I think I should be able to play as many games as I can, whether that be 82 or 78, and maybe miss a couple for whatever reason. If it’s up to me, I’ll play every game. College, I didn’t miss a game. High school, I think I only missed 1 game when I got a concussion my sophomore year. I just don’t like missing games.”
Banchero has the right attitude, but the modern NBA isn’t built for players that want to play all 82 games. Teams protect their players from themselves all the time, so if Banchero is even a slight injury risk, the Magic will protect him and probably bench him.
What Will Banchero’s Impact Be Like On The Magic?
The Orlando Magic have a stellar young core with talent in every position. In addition, they are expected to be in the tankathon to have good enough lottery odds to be in a position to win the No. 1 overall pick and select generational talent Victor Wembanyama. Just the pursuit of Wembanyama means the Magic might bench Banchero if he is putting them in a position to win games.
Paolo is going to become the franchise cornerstone in Orlando as a rookie and will hope to find his rhythm alongside players like Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony, Wendell Carter Jr., Jalen Suggs, and more.
Hopefully, the two-way power forward can use this season as a developmental year ad complete his transition to the NBA. If the Magic draft Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson, Banchero will have a team with multiple running mates that could all be a part of the team’s long-term future.
