3 Goals Paolo Banchero should look to accomplish during the 2024-25 season

Goal #2: Get some All-Defensive team votes

With the offense running through Banchero and him being the team’s primary option, it would be very difficult for Banchero to make one of the two All-Defensive teams. Especially since there are only two teams and they can be any combination of guards, forwards, and centers. However, getting some votes would show his progression on his journey to becoming an elite two-way player.

The Magic already have the identity of one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. They were top-3 in defensive rating as well as second-chance points allowed and top-10 in paint points allowed per game. This was due to a complete team effort. The Magic already had All-Defensive second-team guard Jalen Suggs and added Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who also received votes.

Those players along with Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr., who are elite defenders for their positions, will make the Magic a nightmare to match up against. Banchero will have a big role in that too. Paolo had a defensive rating of 111.8, which is a career high and with his size and length, he has the potential to do even better this year.

Banchero is on a top defensive team and as he gets older and his defensive IQ grows it is not beyond him to be an elite defender himself—especially if Franz Wagner bounces back and takes some of the offensive pressure off him. Banchero draws a lot of elite matchups and does a great job of holding his own.

He held Kawhi Leonard to 6-20 shooting, Jayson Tatum to 3-12 shooting, Zion Williamson to 2-11 shooting, and Jaylen Brown to 2-10 shooting. These are some of the NBA's most elite scorers, and they all struggled against Banchero.

If Banchero continues to dominate these matchups and makes it tough on the league’s premiere players he will definitely get All-Defensive looks, especially if the Magic are winning games with these efforts. Another way to get some votes would be to get to that one-steal-per-game mark.

Banchero in his two seasons has averaged .8 steals per game, and then last year .9 which seems so close to one steal per game but it is just not quite the same. It's like being 5'11 but claiming 6ft. It’s just not the same. The players who average at least 1 steal per game get looked at and talked about differently and are thought of as defensive disruptors.

64 NBA players averaged at least one steal per game last year, so in order to get recognition as a top defensive talent in the league, you have to be at that mark.

Some may think that just receiving votes is not a real goal or should not be something to aim for, but you have to think about where Banchero came from. When he entered the league and was in the draft process the two main criticisms of Banchero were if he would be able to shoot the deep ball, and if he could hold his own on the defensive side of the court.

Being criticized for his defense coming into the league and then getting votes for All-Defensive teams by his third season would really show his progression throughout his young career. Most NBA greats received All-NBA defensive team votes at some point in their career.

LeBron James was a DPOY runner-up, Kevin Durant still receives All-Defensive team votes every year, and even Steph Curry received some votes back in 2016. If you want to be a great in this game, you must learn how to guard in this league. And with a 6-10 frame and 7'1 wingspan, Banchero has the body, the IQ, and the skills to get this done.