Magic Starting 5: Paolo Banchero Days Away From NBA Debut

The Magic Insider lists five of the biggest NBA storylines in addition to relevant Orlando Magic news and analysis.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 17, 2022

Magic Starting 5: Paolo Banchero Days Away From NBA Debut /

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Orlando Magic

1. PAOLO BANCHERO'S MAIN GOAL

"A winning record? Playoff contention? Maybe even a playoff series win? Sure, this and more is certainly on the list of goals for the Orlando Magic and No. 1 overall rookie Paolo Banchero this season. But in a conversation with NBA insider Marc Stein, Banchero didn't shy away from his desire to take home the ultimate rookie hardware, admitting it's one of his "main goals" to win the 2022-23 Rookie of the Year."

2. FINAL PRESEASON WIN

"While tonight's result is promising, the slate is officially wiped clean now. From now until April, all 82 games will count for the Magic and set the tone for how the rebuild takes shape in the first year of the Paolo Banchero era in Orlando."

3. FINAL ROSTER

Guards: Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, R.J. Hampton, Terrence Ross, Gary Harris, Kevon Harris (two-way)

Forwards: Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Jonathan Isaac, Chuma Okeke, Caleb Houstan, Admiral Schofield (two-way)

Bigs: Wendell Carter Jr., Mo Bamba, Bol Bol, Mo Wagner

4. JALEN SUGGS BOUNCING BACK?

"The team's first of two lottery selections in last season's draft, Suggs dealt with a plague of injuries, including a stress fracture in his right ankle and fractured right thumb, limiting him to just 48 games."

5. MAGIC SEASON COUNTDOWN

The Magic is two days away from kicking off the season against the Detroit Pistons on October 19.

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Published Oct 17, 2022

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.