NBA Summer League: Paulo Banchero the breakout story of Las Vegas showcase
Banchero has looked very much worthy of his status as No 1 pick in this year's NBA Draft during his Summer League games; he's now been shut down for the remainder of the competition after two captivating displays for the Orlando Magic
Tuesday 12 July 2022 16:09, UK
It's only two games, it's against admittedly much weaker opposition but No 1 overall draft pick Paulo Banchero has left both fans and pundits hugely impressed by his displays in NBA Summer League.
A few eyebrows were raised were the Orlando Magic selected the Duke college star with the top pick but he has been the standout player in this year's summer showcase.
His team are happy with what they've seen too and have now decided the 19-year-old will sit the rest of the tournament out, after averaging 20 points, six assists and five rebounds in his two games in Las Vegas.
The consensus on whether the Magic made the right decision by taking Banchero with the first pick in this year's NBA Draft won't be made during Summer League or by what happens when the regular season starts in October, or even if he wins Rookie of the Year. It'll be made years from now, when there's an actual body of work to judge.
But this much is already clear: The kid knows how to play.
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Analysts always warn against extrapolating too much from small sample sizes and they don't come much smaller than just a couple of Summer League contests against teams assembled of rookies and aspirants hopeful of grabbing the attention of scouts.
There was something about the way Banchero went about his work, though, which made him stand out above everyone else he shared a floor with.
Given that those games included the No 3 pick Jabari Smith Jr. and No 4 pick Keegan Murray, that is saying a lot.
Murray is another player who has impressed but Banchero has shown flashes of everything in his game: step-back turnaround buckets reminiscent of Carmelo Anthony at his peak; passing chops well beyond what should reasonably be expected of a rookie power forward; a 3-point shot which has the potential to become a real weapon for the Magic; eye-catching blocking capabilities and defensive instincts in keeping with his team's drafting philosophy; and an overall maturity in his decision-making as well as an acceptance of responsibility that suggest he could become the number one scoring option Orlando has long been missing.
Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said Banchero got all he needed out of the summer experience, which is why the team are happy to shut him down.
"His understanding of what he needs to do in certain situations, the concepts that we're preaching offensively and defensively, he's grasping on to those," Mosley said. "Watching film together, he's observing those things. He explains to me the things that he sees on the floor.
"It's only two games, but you're watching those film sessions and you realise how he's registering all of it. So that's how you can make the judgment that it's time let these other guys get those moments."
Banchero's performances against the Rockets and the Kings will live long in the memory, the second game in particular might just have been the most dramatic summer league game in history.
Banchero dominates Smith Jr. and the Rockets
Amid the squeaking of sneakers, and the noise generated by the people filling just about every lower-bowl seat in the arena, one voice could still be clearly heard in the first few seconds of this year's NBA Summer League.
That voice belonged to Paolo Banchero.
In the first moments of his first NBA game, Banchero was the loudest talker on defense for the Orlando Magic. And that was one of many, many good signs the 19-year-old out of Duke displayed during his opening night of professional basketball in Orlando's 91-77 win on Thursday over the Houston Rockets.
"I think I did all right," Banchero said. "I missed some easy shots, missed a layup, couple in-and-outs. But I think I did solid. I got my teammates involved. Could have been better on defense. Just warming my body back up, getting back into playing shape, that's kind of what I'm using Summer League for and getting back right."
Banchero's final numbers for his first game: 17 points on 5-for-12 shooting, along with six assists and six fouls (you're allowed more in Summer League) in 26 minutes. They're all completely irrelevant, even though overreacting to summer stats is quickly becoming an annual NBA tradition.
The relevant part was how Banchero just kept making the right play.
"It's great, just playing alongside someone like him," fellow Magic rookie Caleb Houstan said. "Him being able to create for others and create for himself makes it easier on the rest of us. It's a lot of fun out there."
Banchero was part of the reason the night had a big-game feel. Coach Mosley couldn't walk 10 feet inside UNLV's Thomas and Mack Center without someone saying hello or shaking his hand. Big names – a past No 1 pick like John Wall, a Hall of Famer like Jerry West, an All-Star like DeMar DeRozan, a NBA champion like Kyle Kuzma – grabbed courtside seats to watch.
He didn't disappoint.
"Summer League, it's like Vegas. Have fun, play basketball," Banchero said. "I wanted to win."
The first time Banchero touched the ball, he didn't hesitate in whipping a pass to Devin Cannady for an open 3. His next touch, he drew a foul against Jabari Smith Jr. – the No 3 pick by Houston, someone who many thought Orlando would take with the No 1 selection.
He made his first four shots, two of them from 3-point range. He forced Houston into at least three turnovers just by being in the right place on defense. He felt a double-team coming on a post-up and again made the smart play, finding the open Cannady for another three.
He was not flawless, of course.
Orlando's Emanuel Terry made a great back-door cut that should have gotten him a dunk in the opening minutes, but Banchero was late with the pass (one of his very few early mistakes, after scoring or assisting 14 of Orlando's first 17 points). He was foul-prone, which isn't exactly a big deal in Summer League. He tried to attack the basket by going 1-on-3 late in the first half; he got fouled and went to the line, though overpowering some guys in July is quite a bit easier than if he tries it against the real best players in the world when the games count.
Another mistake came when he missed a rebound that led to a Houston putback score late, Banchero slapped the ball in anger – but that is probably testament to how dedicated he is to winning.
"He wasn't perfect," Magic summer coach Jesse Mermuys said. "But he did obviously make some really nice plays for us. And I thought he was trying defensively really hard. He did some silly fouls, and as a coach I'm looking at the things he didn't do, but he obviously had a nice game."
That all said, the good signs way outnumbered the mistakes.
A slew of established Magic players, a fellow No 1 pick in Markelle Fultz among them, leaped from their courtside seats more than once in response to what Banchero was doing on the floor. And at times when he was out of the game and a teammate did something particularly well, Banchero was one of the first to his feet to lead cheers.
It was one game, a summer debut, an outcome soon to be forgotten.
But it was a moment, the first of many, and it wasn't too big for Banchero. He got a tattoo on his right arm last year. No Pressure, it says. It's a credo he lives by.
"I've always dealt with pressure well," Banchero said. "Been able to handle it. At the end of the day, it's just basketball. There can be all the noise, all the pressure in the world, but at the end of the day you've got to go out there and hoop against five other guys."
Banchero lifts Magic past Kings in all-time Summer League thriller
His second eye-catching performance came in one of the most exciting games the NBA Summer League has ever seen and Banchero was at centre of the drama.
Overall against the Kings, Banchero scored 23 points for the Magic and had six rebounds, six assists and four steals but there was a lot more to it than just his performance.
The Orlando Magic led by 18 points with less than five minutes left in regulation of their clash against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, well on their way to a victory. They ended up getting that win – but only after things got wild down the stretch.
And it was an assist from the former Duke star which decided the game. Banchero's pass to Emanuel Terry gave the Magic a 94-92 victory in sudden-death overtime, capping a frantic finish to a game that had a little bit of everything in the final moments.
"That's a game I'll probably never, ever forget," Magic summer coach Jesse Mermuys said.
With good reason. Sacramento closed regulation on a 23-5 run, getting the last six of those points in the final 5.1 seconds on a pair of 3-pointers to force overtime.
The fun was just getting started.
Keon Ellis banked in a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left in the first 2-minute overtime, putting Sacramento up 92-89. But the Kings fouled Devin Cannady with 6.2 seconds left, and he swished all three free throws to tie it.
Ellis missed a short jumper with a second left in OT, and Cannady nearly won the game there with a 60-foot heave that bounced off the rim. That sent the teams to a second overtime, sudden death, first score wins.
Banchero was called for a foul on the first Sacramento possession and the Kings would have gone to the line to shoot free throws – but after a lengthy review, the call was overturned. Orlando got the ball, Banchero found Terry down low, and the Magic got their winner.
What's next for Banchero and the Magic
Banchero has joined a young team in Orlando that already includes 2017 top pick Markelle Fultz, a pair of top-eight picks from the 2021 draft in Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, and Cole Anthony, the No 15 pick in 2020.
Orlando also has the players picked sixth from the 2017 and 2018 drafts, Jonathan Isaac and Mo Bamba. It means that when next season starts Orlando will have six lottery picks, nine top-16 selections and 12 first-rounders on its roster.
Already, people are pausing for thought with regards to their predictions for how the Magic might do next year as this is a roster which has the capability to be a real surprise package next year.
For now, though, Banchero will be watching on with the rest of his new team-mates as Orlando finishes its Summer League stretch. The Magic made the decision so they could evaluate other players who are with them this summer and see who may merit a roster spot or G League opportunity.
"I want to give these other guys an opportunity to play, to kind of be able to show what they're capable of doing," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. "That's the point of Summer League, you know, give them a chance – an opportunity for these other guys to see what they're capable of doing. And we've seen what Paolo was capable of doing."
The Magic are also expected to give Admiral Schofield and RJ Hampton the remainder of summer league off, which opens up even more minutes for players to get opportunities in Las Vegas.
It may be a few months before we see Banchero in the big time, but already he looks like someone that may very well belong there.
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