Magic Rookie Paolo Banchero a 'Matchup Nightmare', Says Chauncey Billups

Paolo Banchero scored 26 points for the Orlando Magic in a loss Sunday night to the Portland Trail Blazers, further cementing his status as the league's best rookie.

Jeremy Brener | Mar 6, 2023

Magic Rookie Paolo Banchero a 'Matchup Nightmare', Says Chauncey Billups /

In this story:

Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - Paolo Banchero continues to be on a tear for his rookie year and he's picking up fans along the way.

The Orlando Magic's No. 1 pick has even found another wind in his rookie season, scoring 25 or more points in three of his last four games, including last night in a loss against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups praised Banchero for his early successes in the NBA.

"I'm impressed every time I see him play," Billups said. "He seems to have a ton of confidence out there and he scores at all three levels. Even though he doesn't shoot a ton of threes, he can make them. He's just so big. He handles the ball like a point guard, which puts you in a lot of different tough predicaments with him handling and coming off pick-and-rolls with small guys setting it ... He's just kind of a matchup nightmare."

A matchup nightmare, indeed.

Banchero plays mostly on the perimeter, which disallows big men his size at 6-10 to guard him. That means the players usually guarding him are smaller than he is, and Banchero takes advantage. He's learning how, and he's only 20 years old.

In the first half during the loss against Portland, Banchero made his first seven shots from the field to the tune of 16 points. He made just two of his last 11 shots, but that's a perfect metaphor for where he and the Magic currently are in the rebuild.

The talent is there and the potential is endless, and once he's able to figure it out and become more consistent, he'll be even more of a nightmare for the rest of the league and a dream come true for the Magic.

You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Magic? Click Here.

Follow The Magic Insider on Facebook.

Follow The Magic Insider on Twitter.

Want even more Orlando Magic news? Check out the SI.com team page here.

Published Mar 6, 2023

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.