The easiest thing the Orlando Magic had in front of them this offseason was the max extension they were preparing to give Paolo Banchero.
In three seasons, Banchero had completely changed the Magic's fortunes, doing what No. 1 picks do and transforming the team from a rebuilding team into a potential playoff contender. Banchero is a true star who has stepped up in two straight playoff series.
The only thing up for debate was whether Banchero would get the Rose Rule max (he would) and whether there would be any options involved in his extension.
Orlando doubled down on Banchero as their centerpiece star, giving him a shocking player option in addition to the full supermax language. He became the first player to get a player option on his rookie extension since Luka Doncic and Trae Young in 2021.
Banchero has certainly pushed his way into a higher class of player. And with the Magic pushing their chips in this summer beyond giving Banchero his max extension, the expectations are certainly raised.
That has made the conversations and obsessions about his efficiency and those trying to claim he is not as good as he might really be so frustrating.
Orlando is certainly going to ask more of its star player. And the team has done something to help make up for his weaknesses by acquiring Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones this offseason. For the first time, the Magic have championship expectations.
There might still be questions, but even the national media finally sees Banchero has the tools to make a major leap. He is expected to make good use of what the Magic have given him.
"I heard a lot of say Paolo is inefficient, he shoots a lot of mid-range jumpers, how can you pay him like a number one guy?" Zach Lowe said on The Zach Lowe Show. "I don't know what you are seeing, but this dude is [expletive] awesome. I am more than OK paying him a max. I don't know if he is going to be a first-team All-NBA player . . . but I know watched this dude in the playoffs against elite defenses with nothing around him -- no shooting, no help, almost nothing reliable plus or minus a Franz Wagner game . . . he just shows up and shows up and makes a fair share of really hard mid-range jump shots.
"He has also shown me he is a good playmaker as a passer and a screener. I think the more talent around him, the more he will tap into those parts of his game. Give me all the Banchero stock. That dude is ready for everything."
Banchero should be in those conversations among the top players in the league. He should be viewed as an up-and-coming star. And with a better supporting cast, he should see a pretty big leap in that category.
Inefficiency is part of a stars' progression
The biggest criticism of Paolo Banchero's career so far is his seeming inefficiency. Banchero does not grade well in most advanced stats, and he is tasked a lot with taking the kind of inefficient mid-range shots that drag those down.
On top of this, Banchero often sees massive double teams and exotic defenses because of the Magic's extremely poor offensive supporting cast, poor shooting and injuries from last year.
Banchero, despite a mid-season oblique injury, still put up some gaudy numbers.
He averaged 25.9 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game and 4.8 assists per game. The only knock against him throughout his career has been his poor shooting and advanced numbers. He shot 45.2 percent from the floor and 32.0 percent from three.
Banchero is at the part of his career where he is still figuring out the best way for him to lead and what he needs to do to win.
It is an easy comparison to chart his path as similar to the player taken No. 1 a year before Paolo Banchero in Cade Cunningham.
Through Cunningham's first three seasons, he put up gaudy scoring numbers (although not as gaudy as Banchero's) but struggled with turnovers and inefficient shooting. That changed this season when he averaged 26.1 points per game and shot 46.9 percent from the floor.
The league is expecting a similar leap with Banchero this season.
"I think the comp that I have been thinking about is Cade Cunningham," Michael Pina said on The Zach Lowe Show. "Where people are down on him, he doesn't really have an ideal supporting cast, there's not a lot of spacing, etc. Paolo isn't the exact same kind of player as Cade. I think his efficiency will tick up. There is a definite scenario where he is on a lot of MVP ballots this season."
What helped Cade Cunningham was the Detroit Pistons surrounding him with shooters like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley, as well as Cunningham finally being healthy. It elevated his game in a major way.
The Magic addressed the team around Paolo Banchero with the acquisition of Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones. Health for players like Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner will be paramount too in this expected improvement.
Paolo Banchero puts up star numbers that should silence doubters
The crazy part of the criticisms of Paolo Banchero's efficiency is that he may have already secretly solved that problem.
After the All-Star break last year, Banchero averaged 29.0 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game and 4.5 assists per game while shooting a much more effective 47.3 percent shooting and 33.3 percent from three -- for a 58.3 percent true shooting percentage after shooting 51.2 percent before the break.
Banchero needed about a month to work himself back into shape and carry that star load after his oblique injury early in the season.
More importantly, Banchero stepped up in the playoffs.
He backed up his stellar 2024 Playoff series by averaging 29.4 points per game and beating the Boston Celtics' defense despite the attention he received and the poor offensive weapons around him in that series.
Entering the 2026 season, Banchero should be viewed as an unquestioned star and a potential superstar worthy of building the team's roster around. Everyone senses he coudl be in for a major leap this season.
A leap he has probably already made and with better personnel around him will cement into true star status this season.
It is undoubtedly a big year for him and the Magic.