In the media, Paolo Banchero is quiet and smooth. It feels like nothing affects him, and everything washes over him.
Typically, Banchero lets his play do the talking. He has the look of a superstar player. He has the game that resembles that of one, even if he is still trying to fine-tune those parts.
Banchero may be reticent off the court. But when he is feeling it, Banchero is known to chat a bit on the court.
He was doing a lot of talking and making a statement in his first game of a critical 2027 season. Enough to get a new rival in Jalen Johnson riled up and create a pull-apart after the game.
"He wanted to wait until the clock hit zero to say something," Banchero said after Wednesday's game. "I wanted to hear what he said. Just game one."
Why there is some disagreement between Banchero and Johnson is anybody's guess.
Jalen Johnson is often compared to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner in the top-100 lists that get put out this time of year -- Johnson came in at No. 27, Banchero at No. 48 and Wagner at No. 41 in FanSided's NBA99. In a season and a battle for accolades that is so tight, it is no wonder that there is a little bit of a competitive edge.
What should have been clear is that, in the individual battle on Wednesday, Banchero was the clear victor. And as Banchero begins to make his argument for being part of the star class of player he has always believed he belonged.
Banchero poured in 35 points on 10-for-12 shooting. He made all seven of his shots in the restricted area. He took only one mid-range shot and made three of his four 3-pointers.
His aggression got him to the line for 16 free throw attempts. His only regret in the game is likely the four misses at the foul line. And six turnovers as he made some poor reads throughout the game.
But he counteracted those mistakes with 10 assists.
As far as opening statements go, this was a loud one from Banchero.
"I loved his aggressiveness," coach Sean Sweeney said after Wednesday's game. "I think he did a gerat job trying to put pressure on the defense. He can be even better. He did a great job in a lot of areas. He did a good job of drawing the defnse, attacking, finishing, obviously he shot the ball very well and got to the free throw line a lot. He did a great job and keep getting better."
It is hard to imagine him being better.
Banchero's game was the first time in NBA history a player recorded 35-plus points, 10-plus assists and shot better than 80 percent in an opening game. Banchero has always put up counting stats that place him among the very best players the league has seen.
If there were any doubts, Banchero proved he at least still has the potential to be among the best in this league.
Banchero's real fight
What Paolo Banchero has really been fighting is the perception that he is just an empty stats player. A player who can put up all the counting stats that look good on paper without actually impacting winning.
The Orlando Magic have never had a positive net rating with Banchero on the floor in his four previous seasons -- coming in at -0.2 points per 100 possessions last year.
The national narrative with Banchero is that he slows the ball down, holds it for too long and settles for mid-range jumpers. He is not a friend of the analytics crowd.
Banchero's real fight is changing these narratives.
That was something he quietly did last year when he shot the fewest mid-range jumpers of his career and had the best true shooting percentage of his career. Banchero struggled with his jumper but there were positive signs.
Sean Sweeney's new offense is getting everyone playing faster and moving a lot more. Banchero has embraced it so far.
Banchero averaged 4.09 seconds per touch and 2.61 dribbles per touch last year, according to data from Second Spectrum. In Wednesday's game, he logged 3.13 seconds per touch and 2.73 dribbles per touch.
That certainly suggests he was far more decisive and moving quicker in Wednesday's game. That changed a lot of the way he attacked and increased his scoring output.
"Whether it is one move or no move and straight downhill, there are not many guys in this league who can guard him," Wendell Carter said after Wednesday's game. "Our style of play is allowing him to get into the paint quite easily. Being able to allow teammates to make decisions on the back end. Paolo is one of none in my opinion. If we continue to feed off of him and he continues to play the way he plays, we're going to be in a really good spot for sure."
Banchero turned in one of the best games of his career Wednesday.
If that is a preview of what he has in store for the season, it will be a big season for him. And thus, a big season for the Magic.
The missing element
Ultimately though, the star holds the responsibility for his team's results.
Most of the criticisms about Paolo Banchero are not about his scoring output or his stats. It is about where those stats lead.
The Magic have disappointed the last two seasons. The team has failed to build on the 2024 breakthrough into the Playoffs. The Magic certainly failed to make good on the outsized expectations from last year.
Banchero has fallen down the pecking order of young stars becuase of it. Many are projecting that this is a make-or-break year for him.
That Jalen Johnson could puff out his chest is more about the success his team has experienced. Johnson scored 20 points to go with 14 rebounds and six assists on 7-for-19 shooting. The Hawks were +8 in his minutes.
More importantly, the Hawks won, marking their fifth straight win over the Magic.
The Magic were still -9 with Banchero on the floor in his 41 minutes in the opener. Banchero kept the team afloat while they bled points in a 44-point second quarter. But they still gave away their early lead.
This was undoubtedly a good start. Orlando will win more often than not with Paolo Banchero playing with this level of efficiency -- Franz Wagner's foul trouble did not help.
Winning is all that matters to Banchero and the Magic this season. This was simply a building block, but not the end goal.
They will look to be louder the next time they see the Hawks.
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