3 Improvements Paolo Banchero must make to reach the All-NBA level
By Elaine Blum
Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic are unquestionably on the right track. Banchero led his young team to the playoffs in just his second season and earned his first All-Star selection on the way there. While his play was not enough to keep the Magic’s playoff run alive past the first round, Banchero showed out as a scorer in his first postseason showing.
The future is bright, even if not everyone is as big of a fan of Banchero’s game as most Magic fans. Analysts continuously criticize Banchero’s inefficiency and worry about his ability to be the main building block for a future contender.
Still, he has received some recognition for what he has done with the Magic already in his young NBA career. Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus’ hot take for the Magic’s 2024-25 season was that “Banchero will earn All-NBA honors, displacing one of Kawhi Leonard or Domantas Sabonis.”
For anyone who does not watch the Magic a lot, this might seem like a hot take but even ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has said on The Hoop Collective that he wouldn’t be surprised if Banchero jumped from All-Star to All-NBA player this season.
So, what does Banchero have to do to get there?
3. Become a more efficient scorer
Magic fans are mostly not too concerned with Paolo Banchero’s inefficiency. He is still a young player. A 21-year-old forced to lead a playoff team will take some bad shots or simply miss sometimes. It’s normal.
And yet, Banchero will have to work on this especially because it is the one thing people will bring up to discredit any All-NBA cases he will make in the future. Laying this narrative to rest for good will be the easiest way for Banchero to establish himself as one of the young stars in the NBA and someone who can lead a contending team. So far, the jury still seems out on whether Banchero can be that or will turn into a player who is difficult to build around.
Some of his inefficiency should be solved by the Magic becoming a better 3-point shooting team and creating more space for Banchero. If defenses cannot collapse and crowd the paint anymore, Banchero will automatically get some easier shots.