The Orlando Magic are heading into their first-round NBA playoff series against the Boston Celtics as heavy underdogs, and if they are going to have any probability at pulling off a historic upset, Paolo Banchero must ship an all-time efficiency.
Banchero, who was chosen by the Magic with the No. 1 decide within the 2022 NBA Draft, is a rising star. He averaged 25.9 factors, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per sport this season.
The 22-year-old ahead has great measurement, size and athleticism at 6-foot-10 and 250 kilos.
Banchero is a legit centerpiece for Orlando. They’ve had a couple of within the franchise’s 36-year historical past, together with Penny Hardaway, Shaquille O’Neal and most just lately Dwight Howard. Banchero is proficient sufficient to affix that group, however profitable is the one technique to do it.
A method for the Magic to have an opportunity at making this sequence versus the Celtics a protracted one is to sluggish the sport down. A part of that’s attending to the free throw line, and Banchero’s 8.4 makes an attempt within the common season ranked fourth-most within the league. And for the reason that All-Star break he is been averaging 9.2 free throw makes an attempt per sport. Banchero is nice at utilizing his quickness and power to get to the rim, draw contact and end.
The Magic are an ideal defensive workforce. They ranked No. 2 in defensive score and play very bodily on that finish of the ground. However protection alone will not give them an opportunity to win this sequence. They’ve to attain at a a lot greater fee than they did within the common season. Boston scored the eighth-most factors at 116.3 per sport. Orlando ranked twenty eighth with 105.4 factors per sport.
If the Magic are going to shut that 10-point hole, Banchero has to take his sport to a different stage. And it is potential he may get there. Simply take a look at the Magic’s first-round sequence in opposition to the Cavaliers final season.
It was Banchero’s first time within the playoffs, and he did not look rattled in any respect. He averaged 27 factors, 8.6 rebounds and 4 assists per sport within the sequence. His finest efficiency got here in Recreation 7 at Cleveland, the place he scored 38 factors with 16 rebounds and three steals. Sadly for the Magic, their different 4 starters shot a mixed 9-for-42 and so they misplaced 106-94.
Banchero will not simply be requested to steer the offense for the Magic. He must be a stopper on protection, too.
The one head-to-head matchup the place the Celtics performed the Magic at full power this season got here on Jan. 17 at TD Backyard. The C’s received by 27, however Banchero excelled defensively. He spent most of his time guarding Jayson Tatum and restricted the Celtics celebrity to 4 factors on 1-for-4 capturing in that matchup. Tatum shot 11-for-17 in opposition to different Magic gamers in that sport. General, Celtics gamers shot 1-for-9 that night time when Banchero was the first defender.
It is in all probability a bit of too early for the Magic to make a press release within the playoffs. This can be a actually younger workforce, and the Celtics have a definite benefit in playoff expertise, expertise, depth and training. This must be a brief sequence.
However the Magic play exhausting. They do not give up. Banchero goes to be a celebrity within the very close to future. He has the potential to make this a five- or six-game sequence if he dominates at each ends of the ground.
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