Wendell Carter Jr. Feels Paolo Banchero Pairing Makes Magic 'More Deadly'

The Orlando Magic feature one of the more exciting frontcourts in the league. Wendell Carter Jr. is expected to team up with No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 5, 2022

Wendell Carter Jr. Feels Paolo Banchero Pairing Makes Magic 'More Deadly' /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is just two weeks away from tipping off another season into its rebuild, one that officially began in 2021 when the team traded away All-Star Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls.

In return, the primary player the Magic received in the trade was big man Wendell Carter Jr., who is expected to have his best year yet in his fifth season in the league.

"I feel like I'm definitely going to have higher percentages this year from the three-point line," Carter Jr. said. "And then just my confidence and my stamina, you know, being able to withstand everything that I'm gonna go through this season and still be able to play all 82 games."

Carter Jr. had a career year last season, averaging 15 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. However, he's going to have to make some room in the box score and in the frontcourt as No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero is expected to play alongside him. Carter Jr. is excited about the possibilities the pairing can provide.

"We're both pretty versatile big men," Carter Jr. said. "I feel like it just makes us so much more deadly, especially in the front court. We're gonna be able to bring the ball up the court, come off pick and rolls, you know, he can do a little bit everything and, you know, I feel like, especially coming from Duke, he understands [and] he knows how to win."

The Magic still has a long way to go to get to where it wants to be, but Carter Jr. is ready to help lead Orlando take those first steps towards contention.

"As long as we come with the energy each and every day to understand that let's go on against each other playing really hard as it is," Carter Jr. said. "It's just going to make us better as a group."

Carter Jr. and the Magic begin their season on October 19 against the Detroit Pistons.

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Published Oct 5, 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.