ORLANDO, Fla. — Paolo Banchero hit the court for his first official practice with the Orlando Magic on Tuesday though it may not have felt that way for the top pick.
Banchero went through a variation of the team’s practice regimen in preparation for the Las Vegas Summer League. He received then a firsthand glimpse of what principles head coach Jamahl Mosley wants to instill and the foundation the team wants to lay.
“It is very similar to what they’ve seen,” Mosley said. “Now, it is probably going to be at a faster clip, and we’re not going to hold on as long to some of the mistakes. They’ll go to the side, talk to coaches and get moved on with it.”
On top of going through those practice sessions, Banchero also had the opportunity to play with several of his new teammates in pickup games and other related activities throughout the summer. It gave him an early chance to begin building chemistry with the team.
The early time with his teammates has helped the learning curve a bit, but adjusting to the faster pace and physicality has been perhaps the toughest task so far for Banchero.
“It is a lot faster (with) a lot of bigger, more athletic players,” Banchero said. “That is a little bit of an adjustment but I’ve been playing against these guys all summer so I’ve adjusted. I’m just looking forward to going against somebody else next week (in preseason games).”
Though the Magic have completed just one practice, Banchero has already caught the eye of some of his teammates. Standing at 6 feet, 10 inches, it is hard to miss the 250-pounder on the court. In addition to his size, he also showed off other characteristics on Tuesday.
“I think his maturity,” Franz Wagner said. “I think he is very focused. He listens very well. He is very coachable. I think those are the first things (that stand out). I think with his talent and the body he has, I think that is the most important thing. He is coachable and willing to listen to people. I think the sky is the limit if he has all of those things.”
More video of Paolo Banchero shooting 3s at practice today pic.twitter.com/cTpRo8OGlp
— Cody Taylor (@CodyTaylorNBA) September 27, 2022
Banchero and the Magic will have some unexpected time off this week.
The Magic participated in a second practice session on Tuesday but will be off on Wednesday with Hurricane Ian looming off the west coast of Florida. The worst of the storm is expected to make landfall late Wednesday, likely canceling practice on Thursday.
The group opens the preseason on Monday with the Memphis Grizzlies. The team will be a bit behind after missing practice time, but hopes to get back into the gym once the storm clears the area and conditions improve.
“We’re just going to keep monitoring it and see how we go about doing things,” Mosley said. “Safety is going to be the first priority for these guys and their families. We (are) communicating with the guys the things that we could be prepared for, what we’ll do for them and just continue to monitor as we track (the storm) and see what we can do for practices and bringing these guys back in.”
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