Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero made his long-awaited NBA debut on Wednesday and wasted no time getting started after turning in a sensational performance.
Banchero produced 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots in a 113-109 loss on the road to the Detroit Pistons. He finished by shooting 11-of-18 from the field and 5-of-7 from the free-throw line in 35 minutes of action.
The No. 1 pick scored seven points in the first quarter but did the majority of his work in the fourth quarter, leading the Magic with 13 points in the period. He made several key shots late to keep the Magic within reach before falling in the final seconds.
He was disappointed the team didn’t leave with the win.
I felt like I left a lot of points on the board. I missed like three layups and missed some shots I feel like I could have made. (I have) a lot to work on. I wasn’t disappointed with the way I played. I thought I played hard and played hard until the end. I thought we played hard. It was a positive showing for us but, obviously, we would have liked to get the win.
The 27 points scored by Banchero were the most by a No. 1 pick in a debut game since LeBron James had 25 points against the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 29, 2003. He is just the fifth player since the merger to have at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in his first game.
Banchero was happy to join James in some history.
It means a lot. Obviously, we would have liked to win but I just wanted to play hard, play for the team and that happened. That is a blessing.
historic debut for @Pp_doesit
27 PTS • 9 REB • 5 AST • 11-18 FG pic.twitter.com/MYc55hTWQ5
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) October 20, 2022
Banchero had it all working on Wednesday, from flashing his footwork in the post to posterizing Cory Joseph on a booming one-handed slam in the second half. He even had several strong defensive sequences en route to his two-block night.
“I think it took a moment for him to get settled in and as he got comfortable, the game slowed down a little bit for him,” Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “He registered how they were playing him so his ability to make some plays down the stretch was huge.”
Banchero showed precisely why the Magic took him with the first pick. The final result wasn’t what he or the team wanted, but the performance showed the organization they have a future star on its hands.
Orlando returns to play on Friday versus the Atlanta Hawks.
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