Orlando Blue Devils: Magic Building Duke Frontcourt to Lead Franchise

Or should we say the Duke Magic?

Jeremy Brener | Jun 27, 2022

Orlando Blue Devils: Magic Building Duke Frontcourt to Lead Franchise /

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic shocked the NBA world Thursday night, selecting Duke forward Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick.

Banchero isn't the only Duke player on the roster, as Wendell Carter Jr. also played his college ball in Durham.

Both were one-and-done at Duke under coach Mike Krzyzewski, who retired at season's end after 42 years at the helm.

With a ton of attention surrounding Coach K's final season, Banchero led the Blue Devils to the Final Four for the first time since 2015.

"I can't imagine too many pressure-packed seasons than playing for Duke in Coach K's last season," Magic president Jeff Weltman said.

Weltman also praised Banchero for elevating his game during Duke's Final Four run and being able to excel when it mattered most.

"Guys are different in November than March," Weltman. "We do feel that as he grows and he evolves that he's going to be one of those guys that's built for playoff basketball."

Playoff basketball is certainly the goal for the Magic, who have not won a postseason series since 2010 when Dwight Howard was leading the frontcourt.

Now, that responsibility belongs to Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr., another Duke product who was drafted in 2018 and traded to Orlando in 2021.

After signing a four-year, $50 million extension at the beginning of this past season, the Magic confirmed Carter Jr. to be one of the team's building blocks moving forward.

In his first full season with the Magic, Carter Jr. posted the best numbers of his career, averaging 15.1 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.

The Magic is hoping that by pairing the Blue Devils together in the frontcourt, there will be some natural chemistry before the two even play on the court together.

"I've talked to him [Carter Jr.] in the past," Banchero said in a press conference Friday. "He's a great guy overall. He has a great reputation at Duke, and a great reputation here."

Carter Jr. has already built a strong reputation in Orlando, and now it's time for Banchero to do the same.

Published Jun 27, 2022

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.