Paolo Banchero Articles - Page 8

Who is the best player in the NBA? This is a question basketball fans debate every single year, and it’s one that often has no right answer. MVP candidates such as Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and LeBron James are obviously amongst the best of the best, but one player cannot win […]

It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Orlando Magic make a jump to becoming a playoff team next season. Through the latter half of the 2022-23 season, it just looked like this Magic squad was on the cusp of a leap and a breakout this upcoming 2023-24 campaign is just waiting to happen. After starting […]

After all of the mocking and “F group” proclamations, USA winning the FIBA World Cup would been a fitting and triumphant end to this battle for global hoops supremacy. It would not have been the most original script, to be sure, but still a somewhat intriguing one. This is not the NFL, though. Nor is […]

Ever since Team USA drew Italy as their quarterfinal opponent in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, all eyes turned to Paolo Banchero. The young Orlando Magic star raised some eyebrows before the tournament when he ultimately opted to turn down an opportunity to lead Italy during the tournament to play with the Americans instead, which […]

Any Italians who were still feeling hurt by Paolo Banchero’s decision to represent the United States in the FIBA World Cup instead of them are unlikely to change their stance after the Orlando Magic forward’s most recent media session. Ahead of Team USA’s upcoming quarterfinal mathcup against Italy, a reporter asked the reigning NBA Rookie […]

It’s win or go home now for Team USA and the rest of the world at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Team USA finished a strong group-stage performance with a disappointing loss to Lithuania 110-104 early Sunday morning. There, facing off against a fellow Round 1 group winner, some of the flaws and challenges Team […]

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 […]

Forced to play center in USA basketball’s FIBA World Cup opener game against New Zealand, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero stepped up and led the team with 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting, four rebounds and four blocks. Paolo Banchero was key today in USA's W vs. New Zealand 🔑 21 PTS8-10 FG4 BLK USA wins […]

The 2023 FIBA World Cup is a great opportunity for Paolo Banchero to grow. The Orlando Magic forward will be playing in highly competitive matchups in a new position for Team USA. Banchero has been tasked with playing center for Team USA. While Jaren Jackson Jr. mans the starting lineup, the reigning Rookie of the […]

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is coming off of a great first season in the league after winning the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. As Paolo Banchero continues to get better for Team USA in preparation for the FIBA World Cup, former NBA guard Isaiah Thomas has some high praise for the young Magic […]

Even though Seattle is still yearning to have an NBA team again, the city has not really stopped producing good NBA players. Among the great ones are former NBA vet Jamal Crawford and rising star Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic. And for free agent guard Isaiah Thomas, Crawford is still the best player from […]

The Team USA roster for the 2023 FIBA World Cup features a handful of All-Stars talents, as well as rising stars in the NBA. Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is one of these rising stars and he is coming off of a fantastic rookie season in which he was awarded the league’s Rookie of the […]

Paolo Banchero’s decision to represent USA instead of Italy in the FIBA World Cup has generated plenty of headlines this offseason. After all, there were expectations that the Orlando Magic forward would play for Italy–and even committed to it–before he made a U-Turn and joined Team USA. Of course it wasn’t an easy decision for […]

In Oct. 2022, then rookie Paolo Banchero told former Orlando Magic teammate R.J. Hampton that he was playing for Italy’s men’s national basketball team rather than Team USA on The Young Person Basketball Podcast by Fubo Sports (h/t Joe Vardon of The Athletic). However, if one believes time can be defined as the distance between […]

Given all the success he has had as the head coach of the Golden State Warriors through the years, as well as an assistant coach under Mike Krzyzewski with the national team, it was a no-brainer decision for USA Basketball to make Steve Kerr their head coach. While the upcoming 2023-24 season is definitely on […]

The Orlando Magic look ready to take a leap next season following their strong finish to the 2022-23 campaign. After beginning the regular season with a 5-20 record, Orlando found its stride and became a .500 team, going 29-28 the rest of the way. Nonetheless, as we dive deeper into NBA free agency, the Magic […]

The young upstart Orlando Magic seem poised to take a leap next season following their encouraging finish to the 2022-23 campaign. After starting the regular season with a 5-20 mark, Orlando found its stride and essentially became a .500 team, going 29-28 the rest of the way. With that said, the Magic should target a […]

San Antonio Spurs’ 2023 Draft No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama is setting some lofty goals ahead of his rookie season. When asked on what would be a successful rookie year for him, Wembanyama told ESPN, “I’ve been looking into all the data of the past years, the past number one picks, and what impact […]

The Orlando Magic have been relatively quiet in 2023 NBA free agency. The Magic’s biggest free agency addition came in the form of a two-year, $22 million contract to Joe Ingles. Orlando resisted the temptation to offer a max contract or something close to one of the best veterans available—namely Fred VanVleet. It was the […]

A younger team on the rise in the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic are not far off from being a team that can compete for a playoff spot. They won 34 games this past year for the first time since the 2018-19 season and with 2022 first overall pick Paolo Banchero leading the charge for […]

Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic has been selected to play with Team USA this summer in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley was pumped up for Banchero to get this experience. “I think it is such a great experience,” Jamahl Mosley said, via Cody Taylor of USA Today. “To […]

The Orlando Magic are expected to reach an agreement with veteran sharpshooter Joe Ingles, per Turner Sports insider Chris Haynes. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal will be for two years and $22 million. Free agent F Joe Ingles has agreed on a two-year, $22 million contract with the Orlando Magic, his agent Mark […]

Paolo Banchero truly had a wonderful first-year campaign for the Orlando Magic last season. Thanks to his Rookie of the Year-worthy performance, NBA card prices of the Magic’s number one draft pick cemented his value in the market. But Banchero isn’t the only young star to look out for in the hobby when the next […]

Paolo Banchero was on such a good trajectory to play for Team Italy during the FIBA World Cup. The Orlando Magic’s Rookie of the Year acquired his Italian citizenship during the pandemic and was ecstatic to play for the team. A verbal commitment even got the Italian Basketball Federation president Gianni Petrucci hyped. However, this […]

Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic have new reinforcements fresh from the NBA Draft. Jett Howard, the rookie out of Michigan basketball, is capable of shooting the lights out in the two-guard spot along with Cole Anthony. Jett Howard can bring a lot of spot-up action and off-ball movement. The lottery pick from Michigan basketball […]

The Orlando Magic were the only team that picked twice in the lottery. They selected Arkansas guard Anthony Black at No. 6 and later took Michigan forward Jett Howard at No. 11. The Magic have added yet two more intriguing prospects to their current crop of promising young studs led by 2023 Rookie of the […]

With the 2023 FIBA World Cup set to take place from August 25 to September 10, Team USA just received major news with the commitment of Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year. Banchero was originally expected to play for Team Italy, per Shams Charania of The Athletic. Orlando’s Paolo […]

The Orlando Magic seem poised to take the next step and contend for a playoff spot next season. With reigning Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Markelle Fultz leading the pack, Orlando has a loaded roster of promising young studs who could potentially break out this upcoming campaign. However, the Magic find […]

One year after making Paolo Banchero the top overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic have to be ecstatic with their decision. Banchero won the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year award, leading the Magic to their best record in three years. After a strong first year, Banchero is intent on achieving […]

MIAMI, FL – Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero is following in the footsteps of former franchise greats Shaq and Dwight Howard by going to the NBA Finals early in his career. Well, maybe not to play, but definitely to do something fun. The NBA decided to do something fun heading into the 2023 Finals between […]

If there is one rising star outside the Atlanta Hawks that Trae Young is excited to watch next season, it’s none other than Orlando Magic youngster Paolo Banchero. In the latest episode of his “From the Point” podcast, Young talked about how it’s always tough to play the Magic throughout the 2022-23 campaign because of […]

Denver Nuggets star big man Nikola Jokic has been known to be a big fan of horse racing. Speaking with Rookie of the Year and Orlando Magic phenom Paolo Banchero, Jokic detailed when his love of horses began. "It was 12/13 [years old]… It was race day in my hometown, my family brought me to […]

Jimmy Butler is known as a man of the people and is proving it during the NBA Finals. During the Miami Heat’s practice before Game 4, Butler was spotted chopping it up with the Rookie of the Year and Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero. Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero and Jimmy Butler 🔥 (📸: […]

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic makes basketball look so easy. He plays the sport like it’s supposed to be, leaving fans and even fellow NBA players praising the big man for how he’s been dominating the game even without the explosiveness and athleticism most others in the league have, like Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero. […]

Because of the tantalizing talent of gangly, gargantuan power forward Victor Wembanyama, the Frenchman may be entering the NBA with as much promise and fanfare as any top prospect in recent memory. However, just because a player is thought to have the potential to be an all-time great, it doesn’t mean that they’re guaranteed to […]

After winning this season’s Rookie of the Year award, Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero was unanimously selected to the 2022-23 NBA All-Rookie First Team on Monday. Banchero had a stellar rookie season after being drafted first overall by the Magic, as he averaged 20.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while recording 14 total double-doubles […]

It now feels like a lifetime away since Paolo Banchero was selected by the Orlando Magic as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. So much has happened since that faithful night, which also includes the former Duke standout bagging the coveted Rookie of the Year award. At this point, it is […]

Paolo Banchero would definitely love it if he and Victor Wembanyama can pair up in Orlando. For the NBA Rookie of the Year, Wembanyama’s addition will surely take the Orlando Magic to a whole another level. The Magic rising star said as much in a recent interview with Malika Andrews on NBA Today, noting that the […]

Orlando Magic rising star Paolo Banchero is the Rookie of the Year for the 2022-23 season; however, not a lot of people are happy with the voting. It’s not that fans didn’t want Banchero to win. In fact, it’s the opposite since many saw him as the overwhelming favorite. Nonetheless, what shocked and disappointed NBA […]