Many budding NBA stars have used stints with Team USA as a springboard to reaching new heights the following season. Could reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero be next to follow in those well-trod footsteps first laid by Kevin Durant more than a decade ago?

If the Orlando Magic take a page from Banchero's time at the FIBA World Cup and play him more at small-ball center in 2023-24, it would almost be surprising if that doesn't come to pass.

Banchero scored a team-high 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the Americans' 99-72 win over New Zealand on Saturday, their opening game of group play at the FIBA World Cup. He also grabbed rebounds and blocked four shots, keying the United States' roaring comeback after a slow start that left the tournament favorites down double-digits early.

Banchero, who played power forward almost exclusively with the Magic last season, has emerged as Jaren Jackson Jr.'s primary backup at center under Steve Kerr. The 20-year-old leveraged his athleticism and skill advantages to devastating effect against New Zealand, knocking down both of his three-point attempts and preying on the Tall Blacks' hulking interior size off the dribble.

“I think those are my first 3s I've hit since I've been playing with the team,” Banchero said, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. “We pride ourselves on, when we come in, pushing the pace, and if we're starting flat, we got to be able to pick it up.”

Wendell Carter Jr. is locked-in as Orlando's starting center, coming off the best season his career. Centerpiece of the 2021 trade that sent Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls, Carter has quietly emerged as one of the most versatile fives in the NBA with the Magic, making him a snug two-way fit next to young franchise players Banchero and Franz Wagner.

Banchero's blend of size, skill and explosiveness could make him a devastating small-ball center in the modern NBA, though, a role he's come to embrace under Steve Kerr and USA Basketball while coming off the bench.

“Being in the World Cup, my role is my role. I kind of have accepted it,” Banchero said after the game, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “I just want to do it to the best of my ability. [Jaren Jackson], he’s a great player. I gotta be able to pick up where he left off when he comes out the game.”

Paolo Banchero definitely won't start games on the sidelines for Orlando this season. But if he finishes some of them playing center, juicing his team's offensive attack in crunch-time, it could go a long way toward the upstart Magic making the playoffs for the first time since 2020.