Fair or not, the spotlight has been on Paolo Banchero all season.
No one has ever doubted his talent or his ability (mostly). He is held to a high standard because a lot of people believe he can be a truly great player.
The Orlando Magic's decision to spend a lot of future assets to bring in Desmond Bane was the signal of their intent. They believed Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner were ready to play at an elevated level.
Fair or not, that put the pressure on the team's stars to step up to the plate. Both players had a lot on their plates for the team.
Wagner's absence for most of four months with a high ankle sprain only shone a spotlight brighter on Banchero. This was his team. And this season has been his show.
It has not reflected well on Banchero.
The Magic's season is already a disappointment. And Banchero, fair or not, is shouldering the blame. As the team struggles to finish the season, he has been the focus of intense scrutiny.
And there is no way to get around it, he has struggled to live up to the billing and step up to the plate, earning criticisms from a host of ESPN broadcasters, including Kendrick Perkins and The Hoop Collective.
This is the price of stardom. And the Magic need their star to shine.
This week, as the pressure around the team has ramped up, he simply has not.
Orlando is trying to make the most of the remainder of its season. The team still hopes to be in the 7/8 Play-In game or climb higher if possible. It will need to take care of its own business even to think about that.
But beyond this season, the Magic will clearly need a more focused and efficient Banchero. This season needs to be a lesson for him and an inspiration to be better next year.
For all the issues the Magic have faced this year, getting the most from their star is perhaps the biggest fix.
A rough week
Everything has become a crisis with Paolo Banchero because of how much he has struggled this year with the spotlight on the Playoff race.
While other teams have been gearing up and improving heading into the postseason, the Magic have been drifting to the end, losing eight of the past 11 games including six in a row following a seven-game win streak.
In those 11 games, Banchero is averaging 21.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. He is shooting just 41.9 percent from the floor overall. The Magic have a -11.6 net rating with Banchero on the floor, the worst mark among Magic starters in that time.
Things looked even bleaker in three critical matchups this week.
Banchero got bottled up for nine points on 3-for-14 shooting in the 52-point loss to the Toronto Raptors. He had only 11 points on 3-for-9 shooting in the loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Those two losses were critical for the Magic, trying to climb out of the Play-In Tournament. It essentially sealed the fact that the Magic will need the Play-In to make the Playoffs for a third straight season.
It is hard to see him copying his typical Playoff performances. But this rough week has only spoken to how quiet and inconsistent Banchero has been all season.
With the noise getting louder surrounding Jamahl Mosley's job, it has left plenty of people to wonder how much the team is still playing for their coach and whether this team is skating to the end of the season.
The Orlando Magic responded to the calls from their coach to show some heart and effort in their win over the Dallas Mavericks, leading by as much as 30 in the fourth quarter. But Banchero struggled again with just 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting.
When the Magic have needed Banchero to step up to close this postseason push, Banchero has struggled to stand in the spotlight. He has looked like he has checked out.
Banchero's frustrating spotlight
The reality is that this season has seen Paolo Banchero thrown into the spotlight in a different way. This was his show, and he has struggled to grab that spotlight.
With Franz Wagner out since Dec. 7, the Magic have gone 27-26 with Banchero as the lone star for the team. Orlando certainly expected its max player to play a lot better.
The on/off argument has followed Banchero throughout his career. He has been better on that front and has shown improvement.
But for the season, Orlando still has a -1.3 net rating with Banchero on the floor (he was -0.6 last year). A lot of that has come with his poor play since the All-Star break.
Before the losing streak, the Magic had a +0.7 net rating with Banchero on the floor. The team has been significantly better with him on the floor offensively, especially, with a 114.1 offensive rating when he is on the floor and 112.1 when he is off the floor during that time.
While Banchero's production has been more inconsistent this season, he is having the most efficient season of his career. He is averaging 22.2 points per game, a career-best 8.3 rebounds per game and a solid 5.1 assists per game. He is shooting a career-best 45.7 percent overall and a career-best 56.5 percent true shooting percentage.
The frustrating part then is that Banchero has not had such a clearer breakthrough. Something has been off about him all season.
He was slowed early with a strained groin. He has had moments where he looked like the superstar the Magic clearly believes he can be. And then he has had the rough week he has had this week, when the Magic have absolutely needed him to deliver.
And that does not get into the noise surrounding him and his relationship with coach Jamahl Mosley. As the Magic have sunk in the standings, the questions pointed at Banchero have only gotten louder.
This season has become something of an indictment on Banchero, fairly or not. He is being singled out for not buying into the coach and leading to the uncertainty in the team's overall leadership. He has struggled to raise his game to meet the team's heightened expectations.
As the star, he should shoulder his share of the blame. The Magic still believe in him and his potential. But they will still need more.
This season has been a difficult one for him. He would surely admit that he has not played to his own standards.
It needs to be a lesson and a driving force for redemption for next year. He needs to be a better leader, a more efficient scorer and a clearer impactor for this team.
The Magic will not get themselves back on track without Banchero.