Magic PF Paolo Banchero Receives MVP Vote in NBA Player Poll

Orlando Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero is receiving some recognition from his peers.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 22, 2024

Apr 14, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) shoots a three-point / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

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ORLANDO — Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero has only played two seasons in the NBA, but he's already receiving MVP consideration.

The Athletic conducted a poll asking players various questions about this past season in the NBA. The first question: Who's the MVP? While Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic received the most votes with 41.8 percent, Banchero was one of 12 players to be on the final ballot, receiving one vote from his peers.

Banchero, 21, averaged 22.6 points per game this season and led the Magic to 47 wins, the most in franchise history since the 2010-11 campaign. Banchero has taken the Magic from a 22-win team and improved that mark by 25 games in just two years. While that may not earn him the league-wide honor this year, it's clear that he's on the radar and his time is coming soon.

Banchero and the Magic face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of their first-round series tonight at 7 p.m. ET.

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Published Apr 22, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.