Orlando Magic Daily
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Three areas of concern from the Orlando Magic’s homestand

By Luke Duffy

ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 21: Head Coach Jamahl Mosley of the Orlando Magic reacts during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on October 21, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 21: Head Coach Jamahl Mosley of the Orlando Magic reacts during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on October 21, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic reacts (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /

1. The over-reliance on Paolo Banchero

Paolo Banchero already looks destined to win Rookie of the Year and is so good at 19 years old that he could make the All-Star game this year. But in November (which takes in the three-game homestand and game in Oklahoma City against the Oklahoma City Thunder), Banchero is averaging a whopping 37.3 minutes per night.

That number would put him comfortably in the top 10 across the whole league if it were to continue.

You can understand why the organization is doing this, especially during a long stint at home. Banchero is exciting, marketable and the best prospect they have had since they drafted Dwight Howard in 2004. Fans are coming to Amway Center already solely to witness him play, selling out three of the team’s first four home games (do not expect one Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks thanks to the early start to prepare for Tropical Storm Nicole).

But the other side of that coin is the Magic will wear Banchero down quickly if they continue to lean on him to this degree.

Unsurprisingly Banchero leads the Magic in minutes per game (34.6), two-point field goal attempts (13.6) and usage (30.0, with the injured Anthony second at 23.8).

https://twitter.com/beyondtheRK/status/1589796399113437185

Pretty much every rookie hits a wall at some point, and you can be sure that will happen to Banchero too.

As well as being marketable, he is already one of the 30 best offensive players in the league based on this season’s play, which is a remarkable sentence to see written down when you really think about it. He keeps the Magic in games, and looks fantastic doing it.

The problem is, even that is not enough to pull out wins most of the time.

So the franchise needs to think about easing up on Banchero a bit, and soon. He appears durable and happy to play as often as he’s needed (although he is QUESTIONABLE for Wednesday’s game after tweaking is ankle in Monday’s game against the Houston Rockets).

Next. Orlando Magic lacking defensive identity. dark

But at some point, this could become counter-productive to the future of the Magic. Perhaps Wagner can take the reins a bit more for the next four games, to give Banchero a deserved breather.