It is not hard to go on the Internet and find an opinion about Paolo Banchero.
The Orlando Magic forward signed his max contract extension after completely flipping the Magic's fortunes and turning them into a perennial playoff team. But as the No. 1 pick in his draft, everyone seems to expect more.
The biggest criticism he has faced is his lack of offensive efficiency. His poor field goal percentage and slow development from beyond the arc have bristled with the Internet fan base, especially with the Magic operating in near anonymity.
Stardom comes with responsibilities. That is part of the deal.
And the Magic's struggles -- and their struggles to find a coherent offense despite Banchero's offensive talents -- have fallen on him.
Banchero has not had the start that even he wanted this season. His scoring average is down, and it does not feel like he imposes himself on the game. His field goal percentage has been a struggle, and Paolo Banchero has had to turn himself into Giannis Antetokounmpo (a needed addition as Ian Levy wrote for Fansided) and try to force his way to the basket.
That is not how Banchero is going to reach his peak, as Michael Pina of The Ringer noted in asking if Banchero is reaching his plateau and pondering how Banchero unlocks his next level. The Magic need efficiency and need scoring from him. That remains the elusive element in his game.
Banchero has taken a step back with his scoring, averaging 23.1 points per game (more than his 2024 All-Star season) to go with a career-high 9.1 rebounds per game and 4.5 assists per game. He is shooting 44.6 percent from the floor and 24.2 percent from three.
This is where much of the criticism of him rests.
But Banchero is posting a career-high 10.1 free throw attempts per game and has a career-best 55.8 percent true shooting percentage. There are signs of progress even with some meat left on the bone.
Banchero still has work to do to become the star the Magic want him to be. But he is finding new ways to impact the game. It may not feel it early in this season, but he is getting closer to being the all-around star the Magic imagine.
The other parts have shined
There has been a change to Paolo Banchero's game.
The scoring and shooting may not have followed suit yet, but Banchero still has his fingerprints all over every game. And with teams still loading up and collapsing around him, Banchero is getting the ball out and impacting the game in other new and exciting ways.
Paolo Banchero rose to the top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft because he was a 6-foot-10, 250-pound battering ram with the footwork and ability to handle the ball, make reads off the dribble and stop for mid-range jumpers. He was the number one pick because he was the player who most resembled what a star should look like.
The way a lot of people talk about Banchero, they act like this was the only part of his game. Or the only part of his game that matters.
The Magic almost immediately wanted to press Banchero's playmaking potential. They put the ball in his hands a lot more and used him in pick and rolls. He was a downhill force who immediately turned the Magic into one of the best teams at getting to the foul line. Now they needed to grow his playmaking.
That has been perhaps the biggest evolution in his game this season.
Banchero is averaging 4.5 assists per game so far this season, the lowest since his rookie year. He is also averaging 8.1 potential assists per game (down from 9.4 last year). But in his last five games, he is averaging 6.6 assists per game (he had only three total in the first three games) and 9.0 potential assists per game.
Banchero has a lot of decisions and responsibility in this offense. He seems to be taking advantage of it. And attacking more efficiently.
Banchero is averaging 14.5 drives per game -- up from 11.9 per game -- according to data from Second Spectrum. His assists on drives has jumped from 0.7 per game to 1.1 per game this year.
Banchero is scoring 0.95 points per possession on pick and rolls as the ball handler this year, up from 0.87 points per possession last year, according to data from Synergy Sports. Banchero has made some meaningful leaps that are not reflected because he is oddly missing free throws.
Banchero needed to understand the attention he brings and to work in this faster-paced offense with (theoretically) more shooting threats and trust his teammates. The Magic's best offensive moments come when Banchero makes these quick decisions as an attacker -- whether it is to score or pass.
The shooting problem
But the free-throw struggles and the points he has left on the board only lead to the bigger problem the team is facing. The group, as a whole, is struggling to hit jumpers. Everything has had to come in the paint.
And that includes Paolo Banchero, whose shooting struggles become frustrating, especially when he settles for mid-range jumpers. Banchero, as the star, is still learning when he needs to take over, when the right time to take a mid-range jumper is, and when to attack with abandon.
Banchero already puts a lot of pressure on defenses with his driving and scoring. The next evolution has been countering that with a jumper that every team has to respect.
In fairness to Banchero, then, it appears he knew some of his shot selection in the first three games was poor (three out of eight games is still a heavy weight). And he has been more determined to get to the basket.
In the last five games, Banchero has looked more like the star everyone imagined.
He posted 25.2 points per game, 9.8 rebounds per game and 6.2 assists per game. He has 51.9/28.6/75.5 shooting splits with 4.2 3-point attempts per game and 10.6 free throw attempts per game. In those five games, Banchero is 16 for 40 on jump shots, according to NBA.com, and 10 for 19 on 2-point jump shots.
In his last five games, Banchero has posted a 62.8 percent true shooting percentage. That would be 17th in the league and better than Stephen Curry.
Like last year after the All-Star Break, the numbers do not quite reflect where Banchero is growing.
But ultimately, what matters is wins. Banchero is the first one to tell you that too. And his team is not winning right now.
That will be on Banchero as much as anyone to change. He may just be doing it in a way that people do not expect.