Most Magic fans are convinced that they have two future superstars on the roster. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have the potential to do great things during their NBA careers, even though they currently only share one All-Star appearance between them. Both were expected to make solid cases to be two of the top players in the league this season, but injuries derailed their campaigns.
Outside the Magic fanbase, people are not so sure, particularly about Banchero. The 22-year-old has received a lot of criticism for his inefficient scoring and struggles after returning from his torn oblique. For a while, as Tim Bontemps pointed out on The Hoop Collective, the Magic were even being outscored with Banchero on the court and had a terrible offensive rating.
A big part of Banchero’s offensive struggles during that stretch was how much the Magic needed from him. Since the Magic missed key players, mainly Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner, and also did not make a deal to acquire an offensive boost at the trade deadline, Banchero and Wagner still had to carry a massive load after just returning from juries themselves. That is a lot to ask from a young player and is not necessarily the right environment for him to thrive.
Since then, Banchero has regained his All-Star form. He is averaging around 30 points per game in March on 51.1 percent shooting from the field and 38.3 percent shooting from three. He is on a hot streak but still receiving criticism.
Paolo Banchero must become more consistent to reach the next level
Even on this hot streak, consistency is still a topic of discussion when it comes to Banchero’s game. Kevin O’Connor and Ben Taylor discussed it on the latest episode of The Kevin O’Connor Show.
“You can have a hot streak, but when you look at the end of the year and you’re like 38 percent on those shots…you can’t survive in the NBA anymore making 38 percent on your mid-range shots,” Taylor said about Banchero. “If you take a lot of mid-range shots, you have to make them at 45 or 50 percent or whatever and then you have to then know to play them off of the other things in your arsenal.”
Banchero is currently shooting 41.1 percent from the mid-range for the season. That is the best mid-range shooting percentage of his career despite the injury and the fact that many shots Banchero takes—from anywhere on the court—are not easy looks. Too often, Banchero has to create offense out of nothing to try and save a possession. So, that criticism may not be entirely fair.
Still, consistently scoring like he is right now would undoubtedly turn Paolo Banchero into a superstar. It would make him virtually unguardable and silence all the critics who want to focus on his scoring efficiency. No one could deny Banchero’s stardom if he averaged around 30 points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from three while also setting up his teammates for an entire season.