ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero enters the season as the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, and the No. 1 pick has that award atop his list of personal goals.
Banchero, an All-American last season at Duke, is ahead of Sacramento’s Keegan Murray, Detroit’s Jaden Ivey and Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. in the award odds issued by most sportsbooks after the Magic rookie’s sensational run in the Las Vegas Summer League.
The 19-year-old possesses the necessary size and skills to succeed in the NBA and projects to play a key role with the Magic from the start of the season. He would love to win Rookie of the Year but wants to see the Magic perform at a high level above all else.
I just want to be a great teammate. I want to, as a team, be in contention whether that is a playoff spot, play-in or just be in the mix and compete every game. I also want to be Rookie of the Year, so that is just a personal goal I’ve set for myself.
Success as a first-year player is often measured in different ways, depending on a variety of factors. It can sometimes be how a given player adjusts to a new system, something team president Jeff Weltman outlined on Monday.
Learn, grow, work and understand, most importantly, what winning takes in this league — that’s a successful season. We have to communicate that not just to Paolo but to all of our players. It has to be our first mission to get him an understanding of the role orientation, the work, the off-the-court discipline and everything it takes to win in this league. It is a different level.
The Magic have seemingly constructed a roster with a good mix of veterans, including Wendell Carter Jr., Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris and Terrence Ross. The group has been instrumental in taking Banchero in and helping him find his way in the early going.
Of course, Fultz is a former top pick himself and went through quite a bit of adversity during his first few years in Philadelphia. In their short time as teammates, he has given Banchero plenty of advice to help him navigate the pressure of being the No. 1 pick.
I think the biggest advice I have for him and will continue to give him throughout this year is there are no expectations for him. The only expectations he has are the ones he puts on himself and understanding he was the No. 1 pick for reason. He has unbelievable talent. He is an unbelievable person and as long as he continues to work and give his all to this program, I think any personal accolade that can come will come his way.
The Magic open training camp on Tuesday, when the team will have its first chance to take the floor with Banchero. He is one of a few new additions to the roster; the Magic return nearly the same team that went 22-60 last season.
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The collective basketball community will be eager to see how Banchero will be utilized this season, but, given his versatility, he projects to have a seamless transition. Banchero will likely play next to Carter in the frontcourt, and the fifth-year big man likes that pairing.
We’re both pretty versatile big men. I feel like it just makes us so much more deadly (with his addition), especially in the frontcourt. With him being able to bring the ball up, come off pick and rolls, he can do a little bit of everything. I feel like, especially coming from Duke, he understands how to win and I think it is very important for him and all of us to establish that and keep that demeanor going for him.
The team, led by second-year head coach Jamahl Mosley, has started to lay a foundation to build winning habits. The group showed signs last season and will look to build on that this year when it opens on Oct. 19 in Detroit.
To help the players, the Magic unveiled a new, $70 million practice facility over the summer, a gesture to show how committed they are to building a winning team. The players have all of the tools needed to reach their goals, and will now get to work on achieving them.
Orlando begins its preseason schedule on Oct. 3.
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