4 Players who hold the keys to the Orlando Magic's offensive improvement
By Elaine Blum
1. Paolo Banchero
Right now, the Orlando Magic will go as far as Paolo Banchero takes them. In just his second season, Banchero already averaged 22.6 points and 5.4 assists per game. He was the team's leading scorer and playmaker.
This is only the beginning, though. Banchero can still improve. With more reps as the Magic's main facilitator, he will hopefully lower his turnover numbers. Since the Magic are going into next season without the table-setter Banchero asked for, he will have to continue improving as a playmaker. Until someone else steps up or the Magic make a trade, he will be what gets the offense going.
As a scorer Banchero also has room to grow. So far, he has not been a great 3-point shooter. Last season, he shot 33.9 percent on 4.4 attempts per game. In the playoffs, his shooting looked much better, which is encouraging for a potential long-term improvement.
If Banchero can get his outside shooting up to around 36 percent, he will be unstoppable offensively. After all, how do you guard a 6'10" forward who can get to the rim, shoot the three, and find open teammates? We have already seen glimpses of this in the playoffs, and there is no reason why Banchero should reach this level soon enough.