Paolo Banchero is the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year award right now, and there’s no doubt that he has been having a fantastic year with the Orlando Magic. He has shown his versatile offensive skillset consistently throughout the season, and Paolo Banchero is currently averaging 21.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 4.0 APG.
All rookies generally have a “welcome to the NBA” moment, where they realize that the league is different from what they’ve experienced before basketball-wise. Recently, Paolo Banchero revealed that Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant was the player that gave (47:25)
Playing against KD was kind of my little “welcome to the NBA moment.” I guarded him for most of that game, and there was really nothing you could do. Some guys get to the line a bunch, play with the refs and get calls… but KD was straight business. Wasn’t saying nothing to the refs, he hit like 4, 5 free throws, but he had 45. Most of those was buckets. I think he missed five shots that game. Experiencing that, and like having to guard him… He was the first player I’ve guarded in my life where it’s like, “there’s nothing I can do.”
Kevin Durant is a respected player within the NBA community, as well as one of the best scorers ever. It is clear that despite Paolo Banchero’s defensive ability, he wasn’t able to limit Kevin Durant that night. Hopefully, we see him fare better against Kevin Durant in the future, but it is hard for any one player to stop Durant’s scoring.
Paolo Banchero Has An Extremely High Ceiling
There is no doubt that Paolo Banchero is already elite offensively, and he has an extremely high ceiling. Banchero has the makings of a superstar, and Orlando Magic teammate Terrence Ross previously claimed that the rookie “can do everything.”
He can do everything. He shows glimpses of absolutely everything. Playmaking, scoring, defense. He can play point. He can set screens. He’s just a jack of all trades. It’s refreshing to see. And he’s 6’10, so he’s like a big dude. If he wants to play bully ball, he can play bully ball. If he wants to face up he can do that. He can shoot 3s, he’s very capable of shooting 3s. It’s going to be fun to watch.
Hopefully, we see Paolo Banchero develop into one of those franchise-changing players for the Orlando Magic. They have had a number of legendary big men in their history, and they are hoping that Banchero can be among their number in the future.
The Orlando Magic currently have a young squad featuring a number of exciting talents, such as Franz Wagner and Bol Bol next to Paolo Banchero. Bol Bol is notably enjoying a breakout season right now and is able to showcase his talent more. Hopefully, Paolo Banchero can lead this group of young guys to the playoffs in the future, though it likely won’t happen this season.
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