The last season before the arrival of Paolo Bancherothe Magic had only won 22 games. Two years later, Orlando has 47 wins and qualified for the first round of the playoffs, only falling after Game 7 against the Cavaliers. This positive development is encouraging and, at the same time, it whets the appetite of the All-Star center, who aims even higher.
“It was my job to help them reach heights that the franchise had not reached in a long time,” recalls the former first pick of the Draftwho thanks Orlando for trusting him. “We're going to try to move up a gear next season, to move forward step by step. However, there's no question of stopping. We want to move forward until we end up winning the title.”
“We're going to try to make some noise”
In this sense, the defeat in the playoffs last season will serve as an experience and learning. The Florida franchise had not played a match at this stage of the competition since 2020, it must find this habit again.
“I discovered how much the game slows down in the playoffs. The first two games in Cleveland, I lost a lot of balls. Already, between the first games and Game 3, I had managed to adapt,” he remembers. “I also understood that you have to be in excellent shape, not only physically, but also mentally to manage a series of seven games. It's nice to play again and again against the same team and it's also a great challenge. I will use this experience next year.”
He will also have a helping hand with the arrival of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who has two titles under his belt (with the Lakers in 2020, then the Nuggets in 2023). “Having him will help us a lot. He has two titles, has played alongside some of the best players in history. He will make a difference.”announces Paolo Banchero.
The final touch to confirm last season's progress? “We believe we are not far away. We are with the best teams in the Eastern Conference.”judges the All-Star. “Last season, we started out as a top three team in the East and everyone thought it was luck, that we would just be a play-in team. We finished strong, with fifth place. We weren’t far off. We have to do better this season, I have to be better, everyone has to be better. We’re going to try to make some noise. We have to be easily in the Top 4 and have an opportunity to win the East.”
| Paolo Banchero | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | ENT | 72 | 34 | 42.7 | 29.8 | 73.8 | 1.2 | 5.7 | 6.9 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 20.0 |
| 2023-24 | ENT | 80 | 35 | 45.5 | 33.9 | 72.5 | 1.0 | 5.9 | 6.9 | 5.4 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 22.6 |
| Total | 152 | 34 | 44.2 | 32.1 | 73.1 | 1.1 | 5.8 | 6.9 | 4.6 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 21.3 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
