Paolo Banchero has spent the early part of his career moving in elite company, but the conversation around him keeps circling back to the same question: does he belong with the league’s true upper tier, or is he still being treated like a borderline All-Star?
That tension sits at the center of his upcoming season with the Magic. Banchero has already had the kind of moments that make a young player feel accepted.
During his first All-Star weekend, while he was in the Rising Stars Game, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant pulled him over and told him they were fans of his game. He has kept those ties since then, working out early in his career with Jayson Tatum and Durant, and spending time with both this offseason and in past years.
The league’s biggest names clearly see him as one of their own. The harder part has been getting everyone else to buy in.
Banchero’s numbers have not exactly been shy. He averaged 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game last season, a line that was still treated by many as a letdown.
Only six players averaged at least 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game, and Banchero and Tatum were the only ones who were not All-Stars. That didn’t stop the season from being labeled a disappointment.
And yet the résumé keeps building. Banchero has scored at least 20 points per game in each of his first four seasons.
His career averages sit at 22.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, a statistical profile that puts him in rare territory. Only 12 players in NBA history have averaged 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game across their first four seasons.
His playoff production has been even louder. In three postseason series, Banchero has averaged 27.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
Orlando has not advanced in any of those series, but those numbers are hard to pin on him. Only six players in NBA history have averaged 27 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game in their playoff careers, and all of them are described as surefire Hall of Famers.
So why does the criticism keep coming?
Part of it comes down to winning. Banchero’s game, with its slower pace and iso-heavy feel, can resemble the mid-2000s style of the players he grew up watching.
He is also more willing to pass than many assume, but the Magic’s offense has often placed him in a specific role, and he has not always maximized himself and the players around him within that setup. The analytics crowd has plenty of ammunition, too, including the fact that Orlando has never posted a positive net rating with him on the floor in his career.
He was at minus-0.2 last season and minus-0.1 in 2024, which were the Magic’s two best seasons since drafting him.
There is context there. Banchero has often faced starters. Still, the Magic went 26-25 in the 51 games Franz Wagner missed last season, with Wagner playing in only four of those games.
Banchero has talked after each playoff exit about what needs to change. After the 2024 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he said the Magic could not be satisfied with reaching a Game 7 and that it was only the first step.
After the 2025 loss to the Boston Celtics, he made it clear the team should not be content with a brief playoff appearance. After losing the 2026 series to the Detroit Pistons, he challenged himself and the team to get out of the first round.
This summer, Banchero appears to have taken that challenge seriously. After a year in which his jumper and explosiveness were both questioned, he looks noticeably trimmed down.
He has said he focused heavily on footwork and finishing, two areas that could help his efficiency. He also has a new coach, which brings the possibility of fresh ideas on how to use him.
For Orlando, so much of the bet is on Banchero himself. For Banchero, so much of the season is about proving that the numbers, the connections and the reputation all point to the same place.
He has spent years producing like one of the best players in the league. Now he has to show that he belongs there for real.
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