Magic Encouraging Banchero to Stay on Track Amid Growing Pains

Paolo Banchero is struggling to rediscover his rhythm, but the Orlando Magic have his back during the process. "There's a reason why he's done the things that he has done in this league, and not forgetting that," Jamahl Mosley said.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) shoots the ball against Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) during the second quarter at Delta Center. / Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

Three weeks ago, when Paolo Banchero's long-awaited return arrived with 34 points against the Milwaukee Bucks, both the Orlando Magic forward and his coach admitted they were surprised by the performance.

"I didn't see that one coming, I can tell you that," Jamahl Mosley said.

"I honestly didn't either," Banchero said. "That just kind of happened."

Before the injury that sidelined him for 34 games, Banchero's numbers had suggested that his third season could be special:

• 29.0 points a game
• 8.8 rebounds
• 5.6 assists
• 2.2 turnovers
• 49.5 FG%
• 34.3 3PT%
• 59.0 TS%
• 55.2 eFG%
• 31.1 usage rate

Those gaudy stats extrapolated over a season said All-NBA candidacy — an uncommon yet plausible evolution from Rookie of the Year and All-Star nods in Banchero's first and second seasons.

So on that first night back, when the Magic had expected to extend some grace to their 2024 All-Star who was playing for the first time in 10 weeks, Banchero reminded them of what they'd been missing — a 22-year-old franchise cornerstone who elevates Orlando into a whole new echelon of contention.

Through 11 games and nine losses, however, there's been a myriad of ups and downs. The reality is, two and a half months away from live game action takes a toll.

"We talked about it before he came back," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said Saturday. "The rhythm, the timing, that is going to take time ... not to allow it to derail what he is and who he is and how capable he is. There's a reason he's an All-Star. There's a reason why he's done the things that he has done in this league, and not forgetting that."

In a road loss to the Utah Jazz Saturday, Banchero scored just nine points on 4-of-19 shooting. He missed all six of his three-point tries and missed two of three foul shots.

MORE: Last-place Jazz sweep season series over Magic with lopsided victory

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) controls the ball against the Utah Jazz during the first quarter at Delta Center. / Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images

The 21.1 field goal percentage is the fifth-worst single-game mark in his career. His worst shooting night also came in this stretch – a 1-of-14 showing (7.1 percent) on Jan. 23 versus the Portland Trail Blazers.

At Orlando's final practice before setting off West, Banchero called this time a process that he's taking one game at a time. In the 11 games since his injury, Banchero's per-game averages illustrate his struggles:

• 20.0 points
• 7.1 rebounds
• 4.5 assists
• 3.9 turnovers
• 38.9 FG%
• 28.6 3PT%
• 46.7 TS%
• 42.9 eFG%
• 33.3 usage rate

"Again, it's gonna take some time to get a rhythm, to find that momentum to get going," Mosley continued. "Being able to do that is just continue to put the work in, continue to trust who you are, and continue to know how much your teammates trust in who you are."

To Mosley's point, Banchero's usage rate over the past 11 games not only exceeds what it was during his five-game beginning-of-year stretch, but it's also the sixth-highest rate in the league among players averaging at least 20 minutes a game. By those same parameters, Franz Wagner's 36.2 usage rate is the second-highest in that span five games after his return from a 20-game absence himself.

Amid a skid where they've lost eight of nine games and 10 of 12, the Magic are relying heavily on two stars who are trying to get back into the flow of things on the fly.

"I think a lot of the times, myself included, stuff starts going the wrong way and we'll start trying to defer to Franz, defer to P," guard Cole Anthony said after the Magic's 29-point loss at Portland Thursday. "Obviously, yeah, they're great players. They help us win a lot of games and will continue to do that, but we [have] got to make it easier for them at times."

"I think that they carry so much of the weight, so much of the burden, that it becomes overwhelming for them sometimes. We've got to try to ease that burden for them as some of the supporting cast."

Because of their size and ability, both Banchero and Wagner see frequent double teams as opponents dare someone else on the Magic to beat them. Banchero said recently that he's aware of the extra attention his game draws, then also noted that he and Wagner have a natural feel for how they play off of one another.

"It's kind of an unspoken thing where we just kind of make eye contact and we know what each other wants in the moment," Banchero said. Case in point: After Banchero scored 25 points in three quarters vs. Detroit, Wagner scored 25 in the fourth quarter alone to notch the Magic's only win in their past nine games.

As currently constructed, Orlando goes as its stars go. After being forced to deal with the alternative for so long, the Magic are content to experience their growing pains for the possibility of what could lie beyond them.

"I think Paolo's human just like all of us," Wagner said after the Jazz loss. "We have to make it a point as a team to make sure that [Banchero] does get good looks because when he's right, that's when we're at our best. I think Paolo did a great job of staying level-headed — obviously, it wasn't his best game.

"But the way I know him, I think he's going to bounce back."

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