Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has had the opportunity to face Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic twice this season, and the All-Star was left impressed with the top pick.
The Trail Blazers knocked off Banchero and the Magic in Orlando on Sunday, 122-119, behind a 41-point performance by Lillard. It was his 14th 40-point game of the season, which is the most by any player in the NBA this season. Banchero responded by scoring a team-high 26 points, five rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes.
Lillard believes Banchero is a problem for opposing teams.
He was the No. 1 pick. His ability to score, he is a big dude. He can make jumpers, play strong in the paint. He is a good athlete. He can handle the ball. He is a force. You gotta address him and deal with him.
Banchero is averaging 20 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 42.3% shooting from the field in 58 games. He leads the rookie class in scoring and field goals and is one of two first-year players with multiple 30-point games (5).
The 20-year-old has won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in three consecutive months and is the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year. He has yet to scratch the surface of his potential and still has plenty of room to improve.
Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups had high praise for him.
I’m impressed every time I see him play. He just seems to have a ton of confidence out there. He scores at all three levels. Even though he doesn’t shoot a ton of 3s, he can make them. He is just so big. He can handle the ball like a point guard, which puts you in a lot of tough predicaments. He is just so big. He can rebound. He is just a matchup nightmare.
Banchero has lived up to the hype that comes with being the top pick. He continues to perform at a high level even as opposing teams change their coverages on him. He has learned to work around double teams and to make plays for others on a nightly basis.
With Banchero in the picture, the Magic look to have a franchise cornerstone they can build around. He has impressed those around him and his peers around the league, and that doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
“I think he’ll continue to get better and understand how to use what he can do to empower and make everyone else out there better,” Lillard said. “It is his first year; that development will continue to happen. It is obvious he was the No. 1 pick for a reason and I think he has had a really good season.”
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