Paolo Banchero is already getting a feel for Sean Sweeney, and the early read from Orlando’s star forward is a strong one.
In a conversation with Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports, Banchero said the new Magic head coach has made a quick impression during their first stretch of work together. Sweeney spent time with Banchero in Seattle last week, then continued the on-court work in Las Vegas with the rest of the coaching staff.
“They’ve been great. They’ve been great.
Me and him have really hit it off so far,” Banchero told Iko. “He came out to Seattle last week, worked out with me for a couple days.
And obviously we’ve been working out here in Vegas with the rest of the coaching staff.
“I’m just really excited about what he can do for me and the team. Like you said, he’s a great mind on both sides of the ball.
Extremely detail-oriented and he’s an intense guy too. And I feel like that’s what I need, that’s what the team needs.
So it’s really exciting.”
Banchero said he wants to “improve in all areas” as he heads into his fifth NBA season, with offensive efficiency among the specific parts of his game he wants to sharpen.
The Magic also have a familiar face back in the fold in Nikola Vucevic, who spoke with reporters on Monday, according to Matt Murschel of The Orlando Sentinel. Vucevic spent more than eight seasons in Orlando and made two All-Star teams before being dealt to Chicago in 2021. Now 35, he sees a team moving in the right direction and wants to be part of the push past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2009/10.
“It’s one of the reasons I came back,” Vucevic said. “This team has a chance to take the next step and go deep into the playoffs.
The East (conference) has gotten better and who knows what else might happen before the start of the season, but I like our chances. I’ve never had a chance to go past the first round with the Magic and if we were able to do that together, it would be amazing and obviously a great story for me.”
Vucevic said retirement is not something he’s spending much time on right now.
“I haven’t thought about it much,” he said. “Hopefully, if things work out well and the team plays well and I play well, I can stay in Orlando for a few years. It would be a great way for me to end it, but it’s something that’s not too much on my mind yet.”
On the Summer League side, Noah Penda gave Orlando a strong opening performance on Thursday. The second-year forward led the team with 23 points and knocked down 5 of 10 shots from three-point range, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.
Penda said his offseason work has been centered on the outside shot after he hit 32.3% of his threes as a rookie last season.
“I really wanted to improve this part because I know this is what is going to keep me on the floor next year - my ability to space the floor for Franz (Wagner) and Paolo,” Penda said. “So, it’s going to be an important way of progression and (I’m) just going to keep working.”
The Magic’s rookie class also includes Izaiyah Nelson, who described being drafted 51st overall last month as a “dream come true,” according to Beede. The former USF big man grew up visiting Orlando because his great grandmother lived there, and he arrives with a reputation for effort and toughness.
The 6-foot-10 forward/center is on a two-year, two-way contract, and he said that only makes him more determined to prove he belongs.
“It definitely does make me a lot more hungry,” Nelson said of his two-way contract. “It’s nothing new to me.
I’ve always been (overlooked) so it’s just like, ‘Why let this two-way stop me now?’ Once it’s my opportunity, I know what I can do.
… When I have the opportunity, I’m going to show everybody why I should be in the NBA.”
In Other News...
Paolo Banchero Just Put Real Pressure On Orlandos Next Step
Paolo Banchero is already setting a higher bar for himself as Orlando heads into the new season, and the timing matters. In a recent interview, the Magic forward talked through his personal goals and the teams bigger picture, making clear that he wants to sharpen his efficiency while taking on even more of the offensive load. He also pointed to the arrival of new head coach Sean Sweeney as part of the backdrop for what comes next, with the sense that Orlandos next step is supposed to be more than incremental.
Bancheros confidence extends beyond his own numbers, too. He sees a conference that can be attacked, and he believes the Magic have enough to make noise in the East if the group comes together the right way. For a team trying to turn promise into something sturdier, that kind of expectation is useful, but it also raises the standard in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Summer League Win Came With One Concerning Development
The Magic kept their Summer League momentum going with a second straight win, but it took a little extra work to do it. Orlando erased a 15-point deficit, forced overtime after tying the game late in regulation and then finished off Portland, 112-105, even while resting second-year players Jase Richardson and Noah Penda after their heavy workloads in the first two games.
Lester Quinones provided the scoring punch with 30 points, giving Orlando another encouraging look at its depth. The bigger concern came when Izaiyah Nelson left early, leaving the Magic to monitor how the frontcourt rotation holds up as the team gets two days off before facing the 76ers. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Rookie Suddenly Faces A Major Camp Setback
Orlandos rookie camp plans took a hit when Izaiyah Nelson went down in a Summer League game, a reminder that even the quietest parts of the offseason can reshape a young players path. For a team trying to sort out its next wave of frontcourt depth, losing a developmental big before the calendar even turns to training camp is the kind of setback that can slow both evaluation and momentum.
Nelson is expected to be sidelined for three to four months, which puts his availability for the start of the season in doubt and leaves the Magic waiting on a player they were hoping to get more looks at soon. For a rookie trying to make an impression, the timing is especially rough, because the next stretch of work is usually where roster battles and early opportunities start to take shape. [Read more 🡒]