Magic No. 1 Pick Paolo Banchero Compares Coach K, Jamahl Mosley

Two different styles of coaching for Paolo Banchero.
Magic No. 1 Pick Paolo Banchero Compares Coach K, Jamahl Mosley
Magic No. 1 Pick Paolo Banchero Compares Coach K, Jamahl Mosley /

ORLANDO - There's a lot going on during Sunday morning's practice at the Amway Center, one of the final ones before the Orlando Magic travel to Las Vegas for the annual Summer League.

Guards are working on drills at one basket, the wings are working on corner threes, and the big men are working on various post moves, but with all that's going on, one area stands out more than the others.

A 6-10, 250-pound athletic beast working on the low block with head coach Jamahl Mosley.

Paolo Banchero's size helps him stand out even without his backstory ... Duke basketball star, No. 1 overall pick, and Coach K's final star pupil before his retirement in April.

Banchero has trained with the best of the best on the college scene, and now he's moving to the NBA, continuing his development with another talented coach in Mosley.

"They're both great teachers," Banchero said. "Obviously Coach Mose is a lot more able to get on the floor and demonstrate things."

Two different styles ... Coach K's observation and hands-off mentality vs. Coach Mose's hands-on, get-in-the-trenches mentality.

Both are effective and both come from different schools of thought, but Banchero believes the NBA adds an extra level of intensity.

"These practices ... you gotta pick up on things a little faster than college," Banchero said.

Banchero appears to be taking things in stride during one of the first practices of what should be a very long career if his projections match reality. You can see how a player who's already extremely gifted physically benefit from world-class coaching and improve slowly but surely.

The No. 1 overall pick did it in college, and it's a big reason why the Magic selected Banchero with the top pick.

"Guys are different in November than March," Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. "He was playing his best ball when it most mattered. We feel that as he grows and as his body evolves, he will be ready for playoff basketball."

If he can display the steady improvement in Orlando with Coach Mose that he did at Duke with Coach K, Banchero will have the opportunity to lead the Magic for as long as he wishes.


Published
Jeremy Brener
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.