Magic Report Cards: Paolo Banchero Aces Season

The Orlando Magic have found their superstar in Paolo Banchero.

Jeremy Brener | May 15, 2024

May 3, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) shoots the ball over / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO — The Orlando Magic are officially in the Paolo Banchero era, and this year he took the league by storm.

Banchero, 21, averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game this season for the Magic, all while leading the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2020. As a franchise, it was the Magic's best season since 2009-10, the year after advancing to the NBA Finals.

While the Magic lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games, Banchero had a tremendous season, proving that the playoffs weren't too big for him.

Simply put, Banchero proved why he was seen as a superstar this season.

That alone makes this season as a success for the Magic. They have a clear vision for how they want to operate and a team leader in Banchero, who will lead the charge in Orlando for as long as he likes.

Sure, there are some aspects of Banchero's game that need improvement, especially his 3-point shot, which he only made 33.9 percent of the time, but he's only 21 years old. Banchero's inconsistencies in his game will improve and he will emerge as he gets closer to his prime.

The experience of playing in the playoffs and seeing how far Banchero can take the team with an experienced group around him will have the Magic armored and ready to go for the foreseeable future.

Grade: A

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Published May 15, 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.