3 expectations for Paolo Banchero in his second year with the Orlando Magic

In an announcement that came as a shock to absolutely nobody, Paolo Banchero has now officially been crowned the NBA’s Rookie of the Year.

The youngster averaged 20.0 points per game in his maiden season and looked every inch the franchise savior the Orlando Magic hoped he would be when they drafted him.

Being a first overall pick and winning the Rookie of the Year award brings with it lofty expectations. And Banchero is going to be no different as he prepares for his second year. Everyone has anointed him the future star and he has placed himself with some historically good rookie seasons.

So what does he have for an encore? What is in store for his sophomore season now?

The sky is the limit for Paolo Banchero after winning Rookie of the Year. As a result, so too are the expectations that will be bestowed upon him in his sophomore outing with the Orlando Magic.

How good Banchero is going to be, and how soon, remains to be seen. But there is also no doubt he will have a lot of help in reaching his full potential.

Coach Jamahl Mosley is building an offensive scheme around Banchero’s strengths (he led the team in usage as a rookie), and he has some teammates who will be there to help.

Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter are two such names. But Banchero already knows the roster is constructed in such a way that his strengths are highlighted as often as possible. The Magic will have to continue to do that as they add to their roster and develop the young players that made this season so fun.

We are only just scratching the surface as to how good he can be. The only question really is: Just how big a leap Banchero will take in the 2023-24 season? And what does Banchero need to do to level up himself and get closer to the company he kept as a rookie.

3 expectations for Paolo Banchero’s sophomore season

3. Increase the 3-point percentage

For all of Paolo Banchero’s already dazzling offensive talent, the one area he fell down noticeably in his first season was his 3-point shooting percentage.

Banchero ended the campaign having shot a shade worse than 30 percent from deep, which is a number that is going to have to improve no matter how many efforts he hoists up. He famously had a 1-for-32 shooting performance from deep in February — at least partially caused by a nerve injury.

He came through in the final two months of the season, hitting 38.7 percent of his threes the rest of the year (the final 17 games). The poor shooting was at least one of the reasons people seemed to think the Rookie of the Year race opened some.

This may be nitpicking for a player who scored in the myriad of ways in which Banchero did against all manner of opponents. But if he is going to take four attempts per game moving forward, the percentage that goes in has to improve.

You can be sure Banchero is going to take even more 3-pointers the longer he is in the league, and the fact he took the third most on the team in his first season is proof of that.

Luckily for Banchero, he is going to get better at making these shots. He has already gotten better as the season wore on. And, in time, he will have more help from higher-level teammates to allow him to get better looks.

Finally, if there is more reason for optimism, it is because Banchero got to the line an incredible 7.4 times per game, and made 73.8 percent of his efforts.

The correlation between 3-point shooting and made free throws has been long debated. But if a link truly does exist, then he is doing all of the right things to get better at both for the road ahead.

3 expectations for Paolo Banchero’s sophomore season

2. Average 25 points per game

We are asking a lot here, but Paolo Banchero is going to one day average 25 points per game in a season. It is something that is going to happen. That is what all the top stars in the league do and if the team is going to compete for championships, this is the level Banchero is going to have to get to.

So why not push it ahead of schedule?

Esteemed scorers such as Derrick Rose, Ja Morant and Carmelo Anthony all averaged more than 25 points per game. Crucially though, all of these players made that significant scoring leap in year three.

LeBron James managed an incredible 27.2 points per night in his second season. So why shouldn’t that be the benchmark for Banchero?

It might seem ridiculous to chase possibly the greatest to ever do it . . . until you realize Luka Doncic put up a crazy 28.2 points as a 20-year-old in his second season.

It can be done. And Banchero was averaging 23.5 points per game in his first 11 games before missing games with a sprained ankle. He certainly has that potential.

This would require Banchero to come back next season and to jump up more than one level. But as things stand, he is undoubtedly going to be the centerpiece of what the Magic will attempt to accomplish offensively in the coming seasons.

The organization ranked in the bottom five in offensive rating last year despite all of Banchero’s offensive potential. If they are to change their fortunes, Banchero is going to have to take the ball and do even more with it.

If Banchero is going to put up 25 next season, then his playmaking and passing is also going to have to improve some so as to become more of a threat to set up his teammates.

Encouragingly, the 3.7 assists he managed was the third most on the team, and while there is definitely room for improvement, you wouldn’t bet against Banchero doing just that next year too.

3 expectations for Paolo Banchero’s sophomore season

1. Make the All-Star game

This last part is simply really because if Paolo Banchero can become a better 3-point shooter and put up 25 per night, he is going to make the All-Star game.

Why that is more important than most realize, is because the Orlando Magic continue to be viewed as a small market team that is criminally slept on.

They might still be a few steps behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, but this is a young and exciting team that could be passing the likes of the Atlanta Hawks in the standings sooner rather than later.

Orlando might be the team that gets the most buzz as the young team to watch or the playoff dark horse. But the team still has to prove it can get there. And the Magic surely will not get to the postseason next year without Banchero earning All-Star consideration.

Banchero having more eyes on him nationally will not only put the Magic on the map as a viable option to be on national television, but it also plays a part in luring free agents to the franchise in the future.

Banchero already looks like a player that others are going to want to come and play with, and the more exposure he can get, and quickly, the better for everybody.

We all know already Banchero is the guy for the Magic moving forward, and the more credit he receives nationally, the more the fanbase are going to rally behind this group.

Plus having somebody you can brag to your friends about as being a top 15 player in the league is just fun, and it is something Magic fans have not been a part of for a long time.

An All-Star selection would be vindication that what the organization is doing is not only working, but is sure to lead to better days down the road as well.