If you only listened to the Internet, you would think Paolo Banchero is not a max player.
There are so many critics trying to poke holes in his game, criticizing him for his inefficiency or trying to knock him down compared to his peers playing in lesser roles -- Tim Bontemps took Jalen Williams over Paolo Banchero in a 2022 NBA Draft redraft on The Hoop Collective podcast, continuing a debate that has poisoned a lot of the discussion about Banchero and his importance to the Magic -- that it feels like Banchero has become grossly underrated and underappreciated.
The reality is that Paolo Banchero has had a three-year career that compares only to the elite players -- like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Grant Hill. The kind of versatile scoring forward that every team in the league wants.
It was a no-doubt decision that the Magic would give Banchero a max extension. It was either good work by his agent or a sign of how important he is to the Magic that he got not only the Rose Rule 30-percent extension but also a player option on the fifth year, the first rookie extension to have one since Trae Young and Luka Doncic.
To say the least, the Magic view Banchero as the critical piece for their team moving forward and one of the driving forces for their team. They view him as a player who can help lift the team into title contention this season.
It is the rest of the league that needs to catch up.
Already this season, Banchero is being viewed as a dark-horse MVP candidate. There is a growing sense that this could be a real breakout season. The Magic certainly plan on Banchero making his first All-NBA team (and earning that 30-percent Rose Rule salary).
"I'd be pretty bullish on the Orlando Magic because Paolo Banchero is that guy similar to Ant[hony Edwards] where the NBA is looking for that face," Dan Titus said on the Good Word with Goodwill Podcast. "This guy has the numbers. This is the time where you will see the Orlando Magic get more time on screen on ESPN, NBC and Amazon in the future. This is a big opportunity for the Magic to stake their claim in the Eastern Conference."
With the Magic aiming to get deeper into the Playoffs, Banchero is going to be in front of a lot more people who may not have seen his game. He is also set up for more success with a better team around him that should give him the space to silence many of his doubters.
The numbers say it all
Paolo Banchero's numbers through three seasons should really say it all that he is a star in the making. He should be a perennial All-Star, and he only missed last year's All-Star Game because of his injury five games into the season.
Even with that injury, Banchero finished fifth in frontcourt voting for the Eastern Conference's All-Star team. Banchero is a lot more popular among fans than people realize. It feels like Banchero is a sleeping giant desperate for more attention.
Banchero's numbers have warranted a lot ore attention than he has gotten so far.
He averaged a career-high 25.9 points per game last year, despite the two-month absence with a torn oblique and a rough 4-5 weeks after he came back. He also averaged 7.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game, both career highs.
Most of the criticism over Banchero's numbers has to do with his efficiency. He has never been a great 3-point shooter -- 32.0 percent for his career -- and has often settled for tough shots. Advanced analytics hate his shot profile and his settling for mid-range shots.
There are plenty of signs that Banchero has taken steps to put that to rest too.
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 on 47.3 percent shooting overall and 33.3 percent from three. He had a 58.3 percent true shooting percentage, which was in the top 10 among players with a usage rate higher than 30 percent after the All-Star Break.
The secret around the league is that Banchero might have already made a major efficiency leap.
He has also shown up in both playoff series he played in, averaging 27.0 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game and 4.0 assists per game in the seven-game series with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2024 and 29.4 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game and 4.2 assists per game in the five-game series with the Boston Celtics in 2025.
Banchero has been worthy of more attention and a bigger stage. This is the year he should finally get it.
The Magic are on TV a lot more
That attention is clearly coming.
The Orlando Magic were a solid playoff team last year but struggled to break through with a poor offense. They tried to remedy that with their blockbuster move to acquire Desmond Bane.
That move has seemingly vaulted the Magic's ambitions and into the conversation in the wide-open Eastern Conference. The Magic are expected to win 50 games and compete for the 3-seed in the East. Orlando is openly talking about winning a title.
The league agrees.
They have put the Magic on TV a lot more this season, giving them 14 national TV appearances, including three each on traditional TV in ESPN and NBC. That is the same amount of national TV games the Magic had in the last five years combined (they had seven of those during the 2025 season).
It will be a lot harder to make Banchero a secret around the league. And if the Magic are as good as they think they will be, a lot of it will come because Banchero takes the leap into stardom.
The NBA has every reason to make Banchero a featured player.
He is one of the best young American players and a likely key piece to the United States' 2028 Olympics team in Los Angeles as veteran stalwarts begin to age out. Banchero will likely rejoin Team USA for the 2027 World Cup after he played on the 2023 World Cup team.
The Magic have long known Banchero is a superstar in the making. This may be the season the rest of the league finds it out too.