Italian-American rookie Paolo Banchero has already become a key part of the Orlando Magic's present and future in his first NBA season. The Duke alumnus has shown impressive consistency and leadership already, proving he was the right pick for the Magic.

Credit: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio
Credit AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

When the 2022 NBA draft was approaching, many pundits had a feeling that the Orlando Magic, the holders of the first pick in the draft, would select Jabari Smith or Chet Holmgren.

Paolo Banchero

Paolo  Banchero
Paolo  Banchero
MIN: 34.09
PTS: 21.08 (54.48%)
REB: 6.65
As: 3.84
ST: 1.05
BL: 0.51
TO: 2.92
GM: 37

From most mock drafts, Paolo Banchero was being placed between the No. 2 and No. 3 picks, with the possibility of ending up with the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Houston Rockets.

The Italian-American player's fate, at least on paper, looked like it should be far from Florida. However, the Magic, especially the GM John Hammond, had a different idea.

The Florida franchise had always planned to select Banchero with the No. 1 pick in the draft, believing him to be exactly the ideal profile to take their project even higher.

Orlando should have been one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference, which is also quite normal for a team going through a rebuilding phase with so many young players still growing.

And the start of the season has certainly been very difficult, with the Magic winning only five of their first 20 regular season games.

But now that we are basically halfway through the season, Jamahl Mosley's team is not that far from a playoff spot. Magic hold a 16-28 record, being only three games behind the Chicago Bulls, currently the last team that would qualify for the play-in.

Between December and January, the Magic won 11 games, even posting a streak of six wins in a row just before Christmas.

This improvement in the team's performance has led not only to a better position in the standings but also to confidence that the team has already reached a point in its growth path in which it can play against even much better-equipped teams on paper.

Among the reasons for this growth, of course, is the performance of Paolo Banchero. The Italian-American player is already proving, despite still being a rookie, that he is a key piece to the present and future of the franchise.

2-pointers this season

54%
29,3
Points made: 29,3
Accuracy: 54,2%
Place in standings: 16
Record max: 46
Record min: 21
Most made 2FGs: Franz Wagner

The 20-year-old big man averages 21.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.

He recently won the Rookie of the Month award for his performances in December. Although few had doubts about the qualities of the Duke product, it is still surprising how much continuity and maturity Banchero has shown so far.

The Magic player has earned the trust of his teammates from the very first days. For a rookie, Banchero is already showing an impeccable demeanor and reliability rare for such a young player.

In terms of scoring, the Magic's big man has shown enviable continuity in this first part of the season. So far, only in two regular season games has he scored less than 10 points.

Mosley almost immediately gave great responsibility on offense to Banchero, making him one of the team's main hubs.

It is not just about scoring but also Banchero's ability to find free teammates in the corners and act as a kind of quarterback in the midrange area. Among NBA rookies, Banchero is the player with the highest usage figure with a 28 percent percentage, a figure not so different from that of some of the league's top stars, such as Jayson Tatum.

The Magic rookie also has an 18 percent assist rate, the second-best figure among rookies (behind only Jaden Ivey of the Pistons). Appreciation for Banchero, however, comes not only from the Magic's environment but also from outside.

Recently, Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, expressed high regard for the Magic player.

"He's a great player. The thing I didn't realize until I saw him is how big he is. For someone that skilled and moves the way he does, you don't expect to see that size. Great combination. He's playing with a lot of confidence. He can do a lot of things on the floor. They're running a lot of things [offensively] through him. Really impressive young player," the Warriors' head coach stated.

Credit USA TODAY Sports-Scanpix

It's not every day to see a player of that size attract so much of the defensive attention of opponents. Banchero's ability to attack off the dribble and beat players, on paper, who are quicker and more agile than he is it's truly remarkable for a rookie who does not yet have a full season in his NBA career.

On the defensive end, Banchero is trying to improve and become a better overall player. The difference, in terms of defensive efficiency, when he's on the floor vs. when he's not, it's not that big.

It is not a problem of lack of effort as much as a need to adapt to different defensive requirements than his use in college. In this regard, the player has already shown clear improvements from the beginning of the season and still remains first on the team in steals per game and third in blocks.

The potential to become a two-way player is definitely there. Banchero only needs time to work and refine his skills on the defensive end. The Italian-American rookie knows that his goal is to be an impactful player on both ends of the court and is working hard to get to that level.

"I'm just trying to be better, trying to accept the challenge every night," Banchero recently said to The Athletic. "My coaches are telling me to compete and bring it every day on defense. Just trying to do both of those and be a two-way player."

Suppose Banchero maintains this kind of continuity in the second half of the season. In that case, there is no doubt that the former Duke product will be the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, a goal the player had set for himself from the moment he was selected in the draft, as he recently explained to ESPN.

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"I wanted to come in to win a Rookie of the Year award and just help the team win as much as I could," Banchero said. "But I know that I have to keep working hard if I want to get that award." 

Meanwhile, Banchero's fans in Italy continue to follow him and vote him into the All-Star Game. However, the main hope for Italian fans remains to see Banchero in a national team jersey at the FIBA World Cup next August.

Banchero and his entourage met with the top officials of the Italian federation in January. Head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco and Salvatore Trainotti, the national team's general manager, also laid out their plans for the Orlando Magic.

Banchero took some time before giving a definitive answer. The Magic rookie wants to understand in what condition he will arrive at the final part of the season before making a final commitment to the Italian national team.

There remains some optimism within the federation about the matter, but it is likely that Banchero will not make a final decision until March, when the Magic's situation in terms of playoffs/play-in qualification will also be clearer.

However, one thing seems to be certain: Paolo Banchero has already become a key piece of the Orlando Magic's present and future after only half of his first season in the NBA.

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