Magic PF Paolo Banchero 'Ready to Chase Playoff Spot' After All-Star Game

Paolo Banchero is returning his focus to the Orlando Magic after a successful All-Star Weekend.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 19, 2024

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero had a very busy All-Star Weekend, but now that it's over, he's ready to move on and put his focus again towards the season at hand.

"It was fun," Banchero said about his first All-Star Game. "In the locker room, we were talking about the standings and stuff, and how intense it's going to be after the break. I'm just ready to get back on the court & chase this playoff spot."

The Magic are 30-25 and currently sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, but there's opportunity to make a jump in the coming weeks.

Just three games separate the Magic from the fourth-seeded New York Knicks, whom Orlando beat by 18 points in the final game before the All-Star Break.

The Knicks, along with the fifth-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, have been hit hard by injuries. The Indiana Pacers, who are in sixth, are just 0.5 game ahead of the Magic, while the Miami Heat hold the tiebreaker for the No. 7 seed with an identical 30-25 record.

Banchero Details 'Head and Shoulders' Growth in NBA

The Magic also have the league's easiest strength of schedule remaining. Only nine teams out of the final 27 games on the schedule currently have a record better than the Magic. That includes the team's final three games before the playoffs, where teams could be winding down and getting ready for the postseason.

If the Magic can play their brand of basketball and remain healthy, there's a chance Banchero and his team can find themselves in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference by season's end.

Published Feb 19, 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.