Orlando Magic Star Paolo Banchero 'Staying Aggressive', Says Jamahl Mosley
Whenever the Orlando Magic drafted Paolo Banchero with the first pick in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Duke, many people expected him to live up to the hype. But the star forward has gone beyond that this season.
While Banchero's points per game is about the same as his rookie year at right around 20, but his percentages from both the field and the three-point line have risen tremendously since last season. This year, he is shooting 48 percent from the field and 38 percent from three, compared to his 42 percent and 29 percent last season.
Banchero has been one of the driving forces behind the Magic's success so far this season, as teams are now focused more on him and it opens up the floor for the rest of the team. Jamahl Mosley spoke more about the impact that Banchero has in his postgame conference after the team's loss to the Celtics.
Dec 17, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) dribbles the ball while Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) defends during the first half at TD Garden.
Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
"I really think he's doing a great job of trying to stay aggressive," Mosley said. "You look at the last game that he played, they were extremely physical with him around the rim, and he made the right adjustments getting there and attacking the basket... When it comes to the help, I really believe our guys are doing all the right things, we just happened to miss some shots."
When both Banchero and the rest of the Magic are performing to the best of their abilities, there are not a lot of teams in the NBA that can stop the sheer fire power the Magic has.
The team will get its next chance to show this in its next game on Wednesday night against the Miami Heat. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from the Amway Center.
