No. 1 Pick Paolo Banchero Names His Magic All-Time Starting Lineup

It's a list of legends.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 13, 2022

No. 1 Pick Paolo Banchero Names His Magic All-Time Starting Lineup /

ORLANDO - As a No. 1 overall pick, Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero has a lot of history to live up to.

Banchero became the fourth-ever player selected with the top pick when the Magic took him first overall last month. And he has some pretty big shoes to fill.

The Magic hasn't picked first in the NBA Draft since 2004, when the team selected Dwight Howard.

Howard went on to start his Hall of Fame career with eight seasons in Central Florida, averaging 18.4 points per game, 13 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. He also made the All-Star team six times and was named the Defensive Player of the Year three times. In his best year, 2008-09, Howard helped lead the Magic to the NBA Finals.

The team selected Chris Webber first overall in 1993, but traded his draft rights to the Golden State Warriors for Penny Hardaway.

Hardaway became a four-time All-Star with the Magic and helped lead the team to its only NBA Finals berth in franchise history back in 1995.

Hardaway teamed up with the 1992 top pick Shaquille O'Neal.

O'Neal went on to become one of the greatest players in NBA history and started his legacy in Orlando for the first four seasons of his career. O'Neal's heroics helped the Magic reach the 1995 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets.

Banchero listed all three former No. 1 picks in his all-time franchise starting five, along with Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill.

In his 16 seasons in the NBA, McGrady averaged 19.6 points per game, including 28.1 points per game with the Magic from 2000-04. Hill played six seasons with the team, averaging 16.4 points per game and making the All-Star team in 2005.

Banchero also said his agent, Mike Miller, would be the Sixth Man. But Banchero is hoping by the end of his time in Orlando, that he'll replace one of these players in the starting lineup.

Published Jul 13, 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.