Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero Still Improving
In only his second season in the NBA, Paolo Banchero is an All-Star and has led the Orlando Magic to the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, but the job is just getting started.
Banchero strives to improve his game, and this season, the sophomore forward has emerged as a bonafide star in the league by making small tweaks and improvements to his game.
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
In his rookie season, Banchero looked like a versatile forward who struggled from deep but was otherwise a very sound young player. This season, he's been taking more shots and making more from distance, increasing his percentage from 29.8 to 35.9 percent.
Adding a reliable three-point shot was enough to get him his first All-Star nod, but his improved passing has helped the Magic win games this year.
“We talk about it often and he’ll tell you and it’s the truth, he’s going to make the right play, praised coach Jamahl Mosley. "He’s always trying to make the right play, whatever that looks like. A lot of people see the double team and him dragging it out a little long. He’s trying to find the right play, and he makes the right play."
Banchero finished with eight assists in the win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. He added 19 points and seven rebounds for good measure, but his passing out of double-teams earned praise. "I just think it’s so much growth for this young man and how he understands and reads the game,” continued Mosley.
As with most sophomore players, Banchero saw his usage rate increase this season, but he has added 1.5 assists to his nightly average while increasing turnovers by only 0.2.
On top of that, Banchero's turnover percentage is down, and his assist percentage is way up. His assist-to-turnover ratio has also improved.
While it's easy to see that Banchero has become a better shooter, that hasn't been his only focus this season. Finding his teammates, drawing attention from defenses, and allowing the other Magic players to hit their shots have been the improvements that will eventually bring playoff success.
