Magic star Paolo Banchero shares what success would look like in Year 2
Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentine
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley (middle) kids around with players Paolo Banchero (left) and Cole Anthony (right) during the Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
If one thing is clear for Magic star Paolo Banchero, the 6-10 forward has set high expectations for himself and Orlando entering his second season and the team’s 35th in franchise history.
He kept his answer short and sweet Monday when asked during Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center about what a successful season looks like for him in 2023-24.
“A successful season for Paolo Banchero looks like making the playoffs, being an all-star and winning the in-season tournament,” he told the Sentinel.
All three goals aren’t out of the question for Banchero and the Magic but they won’t come easy either. Orlando hasn’t reached the postseason since 2020.
Recent examples of second-year players to make the NBA All-Star game include Dallas guard Luka Doncic, New Orleans big man Zion Williamson and 76ers center Joel Embiid.
As for the in-season tournament that begins in November, the Magic see it as a great opportunity for high-level competition that comes earlier in the year compared to having to wait for the playoffs that open in April.
Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley shared what it will take for Banchero to take that next step and continue to grow his game.
“For any rookie since you now understand the game, you see the pace of the game, the things that you can be good at, what you need to do work on … He’s just going to continue to raise his level of efficiency,” Mosley told the Sentinel. “Whether that’s shooting or making quick decisions, all of those pieces are what he’s going to add to his game.”
Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley is pictured during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley, left, points to a camera with new draft pick Anthony Black during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic player Jett Howard is pictured during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic player Joe Ingles is pictured during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Jeff Weltman, president of basketball operations for the Orlando Magic, is interviewed during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic player Jett Howard is pictured during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic player Jett Howard is pictured during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic player Joe Ingles is pictured during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Videographer Shane Whitehead, left, preps Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley for an interview during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley is interviewed during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic player Anthony Black is pictured during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley is pictured during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic players Paolo Banchero, left, and Cole Anthony strike a cool pose during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic players Paolo Banchero, left, and Cole Anthony strike a cool pose during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic player Paolo Banchero is interviewed during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic player Paolo Banchero is interviewed during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic player Chuma Okeke is pictured during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley is pictured during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley is pictured during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley (left) is videographed as he watches Magic game footage during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic player Paolo Banchero holds a custom leather jacket during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley (middle) kids around with players Paolo Banchero (left) and Cole Anthony (right) during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic player Paolo Banchero is pictured during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic player Wendell Carter Jr. is videographed during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic players D.J. Wilson (left), Trevelin Queen (12), and Brandon Williams (11) share a laugh during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic players D.J. Wilson (left), Trevelin Queen (12), and Brandon Williams (11) share a light moment during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley, left, is interviewed by Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley smiles during the 2023 Orlando Magic Media Day at the AdventHealth Training Center on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
Banchero agrees with his coach and said becoming more efficient starts with taking better shots, making quicker decisions and shooting more catch-and-shoot 3-point baskets.
“Last year being a rookie and feeling my way through the league, there were some nights where I took some bad shots and I could have gotten something better for sure,” he said. “I was able to go back and watch all of that stuff to see how I can improve.”
Of course, having a year under his belt will help make that progression more natural. Last season, Banchero led the team in scoring (20 points on average) and became the first Magic player to win Rookie of the Year since Mike Miller in 2001.
Banchero shared what he learned over the course of his first season in the league and why he believes the only direction is up for the Magic.
“I have the opportunity or the chance to be one of the best players in the league,” he said. “Obviously I’ve got to keep putting it together, keep getting better and keep working but [during] my rookie year, I felt like I came in and left my mark. It’s just going to continue.
“Every year is going to be better and this year is going to be a great year for me and the team.”
![Magic rookie Anthony Black made his fourth start Tuesday night against the Nets. His teammates have noticed his confidence on the court. "I do like [that] he's got a little feistiness to him," Orlando center Moe Wagner said. "He talks a little smack sometimes which I like."](https://www.orlandosentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Magic-Nets-Basketball.jpg?w=525 "Magic rookie Anthony Black made his fourth start Tuesday night against the Nets. His teammates have noticed his confidence on the court. \"I do like [that] he's got a little feistiness to him,\" Orlando center Moe Wagner said. \"He talks a little smack sometimes which I like.\"")
