If you have clicked anything relating to the NBA, your "For You" page in the 36 hours before Friday's Play-In game against the Charlotte Hornets, was likely filled with some random person claiming Paolo Banchero has become Ben Simmons, calling him overrated or asking why the Orlando Magic are even a team.
As the star, a lot falls on Banchero's shoulders. He is responsible for many things on this team. His play has not always followed suit this year. And any recovery the Magic could hope to find of their identity would also start with Banchero finding his offensive spark again.
The team gets its energy from him. If anybody needed redemption after Wednesday's loss, it was him.
All eyes were on Banchero as the Magic tried to stave off elimination. If the Magic were going to avoid that embarrassment and set the right tone, they needed Banchero to step up to the plate.
From the opening tip, Banchero was a force in the paint. Not settling for jumpers or staying slow and indecisive. He was aggressive, getting two feet in the paint for a short jumper for the Magic's first score. He skied for a key block early in the game, a sign of his energy and engagement.
After two days of doubts, Banchero left no doubt who was going to win this game or dominate it. His Magic were going to move one.
"Great players, you 've got to respond," Banchero said after Friday's win. "That's what they pay you to do. You can't just settle for subpar performances, especially in situations like this -- do or die, win or go home -- you have to show up for your teammates and set the tone. I thought I did that. I thought we all set the tone coming in. It was just a full team effort."
Banchero scored 25 points on 9-for-17 shooting with five rebounds and six assists. He had 12 points and three assists in the opening quarter, helping to set that vital tone early in the game.
It helped energize one of the most complete performances from this team all season. They were hounding on defense as much as they were forceful on offense.
Banchero showed just how good he can be.
A season of doubts and questions
Paolo Banchero did not need any reminders of how poorly he played in Wednesday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He scored only 18 points on 7-for-22 shooting in that loss, adding six turnovers in a frustrating evening. He made only two of his 10 shots in the second half with five points in a tight game with a chance to avoid an elimination game.
The Internet jumped on the repeated mistakes and especially a possession where Banchero passed on two open three-pointers to take more heavily contested mid-range jumpers. It was a frustrating series at a point when the Magic were losing touch with the lead.
Banchero put the blame on himself after the game. He said the basketball gods do not reward hesitation. He seemed to understand that moment could not happen for his team.
He knows the burden he carries.
"He has a lot on his shoulders," Wendell Carter said in the locker room after Friday's game. "He's the best player on this team. They ask a lot of him every night. One thing I can say about him is he always finds a way to respond. It's no surprise to me the way that he played tonight. He's going to always respond, no matter what happens."
Banchero has responded throughout the season with big games. But it has been a difficult year for him.
Beyond the early-season strained groin that he needed time to recover from, Banchero has failed to reach the lofty goals everyone has set for him. He has looked lethargic and disinterested at times. Truthfully or not, he was drawn into the drama surrounding the team's head coaching future.
Banchero still put up solid counting stats with 22.2 points per game and a career-high 8.4 rebounds per game to go with 5.2 assists per game. He even shot a career-high 45.9 percent from the floor and 56.6 percent true shooting percentage.
But ultimately, Banchero is responsible for the team's success. And the fact that the Magic failed to reach their lofty expectations was a reflection of him.
It has left a lot of questions for Banchero. Questions that only a strong playoff performance seem able to answer.
Everyone is involved
Paolo Banchero's effect is not simply about his scoring. He is one of the leaders on this team as its best player. The ball is in his hands a lot. The energy that he plays with radiates out to teammates.
His showing in Friday's win was not just about the scoring output. It was how he found others and gave them confidence. it was the defense that he played with throughout the contest.
His confidence led to others' confidence.
Wendell Carter scored 10 of his 16 points in the first quarter, making two threes in a sure sign the Magic were about to roll. Both came off passes from Banchero and the attention he receives from defenses.
That was only the beginning.
Everyone understands that Banchero's play will be vital in their series with the Detroit Pistons. He is key to cracking a strong Pistons defense. And if the Magic want any chance to win, it starts with him.
There have been a lot of doubts this season. But the confidence in Banchero never wavered internally.
"I can't say enough about the young man," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Friday's win. "I don't think people will get how much he wants to work and how much he wants to win. It's easy to say things when things aren't going the right way. He just put his head down and he worked. That's what he has always done. He finds a way to respond. That's the young man that he is."
Mosley said the team has rallied to support Banchero and get him back tot his high level. If Banchero indeed responds, then he should be due for a summer to silence even more of those doubters who seemed so eager to pile on.
Friday's game was a reminder of how clear his impact is and what he looks like when he is completely dialed up. Banchero is still a playoff performer and he is expected to deliver for the Magic in his third playoff trip.
Ultimately, his play will speak for him.
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