Paolo Banchero isn’t hiding from the challenge in front of him. After an uneven season for the Orlando Magic, the 23-year-old forward is already talking like someone who expects more - from himself and from the team.
In a recent interview with Yahoo! Sports, Banchero laid out exactly what he wants to sharpen heading into the upcoming campaign. The focus starts with the basics: getting cleaner, more efficient, and more consistent.
“Improve in all areas,” Banchero began. “Field-goal percentage, 3-point percentage, free-throw percentage.
Obviously, just be more efficient. I feel like I can be a guy who averages 25 [points], 8 [rebounds], and 7 [assists].
I feel like that’s pretty attainable for me. So just showing up consistently every day, not worrying about the numbers, and just worrying about the process and how I’m playing to help us win.
And all that will take care of itself. “
Those are ambitious numbers, but they’re not coming out of nowhere. Last season, Banchero posted 22.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 45.9% from the field and 30.5% from three-point range. The scoring jump he’s talking about is tied directly to efficiency, while the assist total points to a bigger playmaking load if he’s going to reach that 25-8-7 level.
That next step matters even more because the Magic need him to be more than just one of their best players. He has to keep growing into the face of the franchise, especially after a year in which Orlando fell short of expectations and went back to the drawing board this summer. With a new head coach in Sean Sweeney, the team is clearly trying to reset around a more demanding standard.
Banchero sounds ready for that. He also sees a bigger opening in the conference than most teams might want to admit.
“The East is wide open in my opinion, a lot of guys feel that, that’s why a lot of free agents are coming. But I’m excited, and the team’s excited,” Banchero commented.
“Like I said earlier, last year wasn’t what we wanted. It didn’t go how we wanted.
But a lot of people are going to forget about us and count us out, so it’s on us to go and show that we’re an elite team in this league. We got a chance to win the East.”
He also spoke about what Sweeney brings to the table, and it’s the kind of description that suggests the Magic want structure, detail, and edge.
“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.”
Orlando’s core remains largely intact, which keeps the front office optimistic about where this group can go. But Banchero’s own words make the assignment clear: the East won’t be easy, and the Magic will have to prove they belong in the conversation. Teams like the Heat, the 76ers, and the Raptors are expected to be better, which only raises the pressure on Orlando to deliver.
That’s where Banchero comes in. If he takes the leap he believes is there, the Magic have a real chance to turn last season’s disappointment into something far more convincing.
In Other News...
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 🡒]