No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero wasted no time getting his career started with the Orlando Magic on Thursday, and it happened to come against third pick Jabari Smith Jr. and the Houston Rockets.
Banchero produced 17 points, six assists and four rebounds in 25 minutes in a 91-77 win to kick off the Las Vegas Summer League. He made his first four shots and had eight points alone in the first quarter. He finished by shooting 5-of-12 from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range.
The 19-year-old showed no rust in his first competitive action since the Final Four on April 2. He was decisive with the ball and rarely forced the issue, resulting in only two turnovers. Banchero had a good touch on his shot and, overall, looked comfortable.
Paolo Banchero in his #NBASummer debut tonight:
17 PTS
4 REB
6 AST pic.twitter.com/tmSPsr6QIF— NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2022
On the other side, Smith had 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one steal in 31 minutes in his first action with the Rockets. He shot 4-of-10 from the field, making one 3-pointer on four attempts.
Smith seemed to get more comfortable as the game went on.
He looked to rush things a bit in the first half and had just three points at halftime. Smith bounced back some and scored seven points after the intermission on 3-of-6 shooting. It was likely the result of some rust after last playing competitively in March.
No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. turns and hits the jumper 🔥
Catch the rest of Q4 live on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/yAGTNhFxYD
— NBA (@NBA) July 8, 2022
The basketball community got a chance to see two of the top three picks on national TV on Thursday and they each showed promise. They are both cornerstones for their respective franchises and looked to show that off in their first meeting.
The two teams each return to action on Saturday.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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