It's early in the NBA season, but it feels safe to say that the Orlando Magic hit a home run with Paolo Banchero. He has only played in five games so far but has already set some NBA history marks.
Paolo Banchero's latest feat came on Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to Andrew Lopez of ESPN, Banchero became only the seventh player in NBA history to start his career with five straight games of scoring 20-plus points. He joins some elite company alongside Wilt Chamberlain, Elvin Hayes, Grant Hill, Dominique Wilkins and Oscar Robertson as the other players to accomplish that feat in the NBA. John Williamson also reached that mark, but three of his seasons came in the ABA.
Before Wednesday's game, Banchero had reached the previous mark of four straight games with 20-plus points. At 19 years old, he also became the first teenager to score 20-plus points in his first three games, something that Kobe Bryant and LeBron James never did.
Despite Banchero's efforts, the Magic continue to sputter, their latest setback coming at the hands of the Cavs to drop their overall record to 0-5. On the season, Banchero had been putting up 22.8 points per game, 7.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 42.6 percent from the field. He is a unique player with a versatile skill-set and as he said himself, that versatility is what makes him such a threat on the court.
It doesn't appear that the Magic will be such a good team this season though. They're likely headed for a chance at drafting Victor Wembanyama. But having Banchero on the team is a good start towards a return to respectability.
Follow Us
Subscribe