Paolo Banchero could be in for his strongest season yet for this obvious reason

Despite some criticism centered on his inefficiency as a scorer, Paolo Banchero has largely impressed people in and around the NBA over his short career. The new face of the Orlando Magic is only 21 years old and just played his second NBA season but also made an All-Star team, led his team to the playoffs, and averaged over 20 points per game. 

Seeing what Banchero was able to do last season on a team with few offensive creators or go-to scorers and virtually no spacing was incredibly impressive. It should scare the rest of the league because this is only the beginning. Banchero is still far from reaching his prime and ceiling as a basketball player, even if it may be difficult to imagine the end product of his developmental process right now. 

Development in the NBA is not always linear. Young players sometimes stagnate or take a step backward when defenses learn their tendencies and key in on them more. And yet, Paolo Banchero seems set up to put together his best NBA season so far in 2024-25. 

Banchero could be in for a significant jump in the 2024-25 season

While some promising young players take a while to take the next step toward becoming a legitimate All-Star or even an All-NBA player, others take a leap in their third year. Banchero should belong to the second category. The Magic are entering the new season with plenty of momentum from their playoff appearance and no one more so than Banchero. 

While he was not perfect, Banchero rose to the challenge in his first playoff series and did everything in his power to keep the Magic competitive offensively. He averaged 27 points per game and shot 40 percent from three, putting the team’s offense on his back in the biggest moments. 

Banchero may not be a 40-percent 3-point shooter for the regular season, but he showed his potential as a scoring force and it all indicates that he will take a big step forward in the 2024-25 season. Brian Windhorst even said on The Hoop Collective that he wouldn’t be surprised if Banchero entered the All-NBA conversation this season. 

A third-year jump seems in the books for Banchero but there is another obvious reason for the forward potentially having his strongest season yet. The Magic may not have made huge changes this summer or added a bunch of extra offense but they might have done enough to give Banchero more space to work with. 

Adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gives the Magic one proven shooter who will draw a defender out. Gary Harris should be in for a better season now that he can come off the bench and play a smaller role. Jalen Suggs burst on the scene as a reliable 3-point shooter last season and can solidify that reputation now. If he can prove that last season’s shooting was not a fluke, opponents won’t have another choice but to guard him around the 3-point line. The Magic’s recent first-round picks also have shown potential as good 3-point shooters. 

If everything goes according to plan, Banchero will be surrounded by better and more reliable floor spacers than last season. That means defenses won’t be able to collapse on him as easily or crowd the paint, which should allow him to get easier shots and lower his turnover numbers.