The Orlando Magic surprised many NBA fans and analysts on Thursday night during the 2022 NBA Draft.
They had the number one pick in the draft and most people assumed they would go with Jabari Smith from Auburn for the first selection.
But the Magic had other plans and eventually selected Paolo Banchero from Duke right out of the gate.
Nearly everyone applauded Orlando’s choice, including fans of the team.
Another person who was happy with the Magic’s selection was none other than Banchero himself.
Orlando LETS WORK🏁💨💙
— Paolo Banchero🇮🇹 (@Pp_doesit) June 24, 2022
On Twitter, Banchero was very celebratory, saying “Orlando LETS WORK” after his new home in the NBA was announced.
It’s good to see that Banchero is so dedicated to his new team already but will he really be able to turn the team around?
A Magic Trick
It has been a few years since the Magic have even made the playoffs.
Their last postseason appearance was in 2020, when the team got pushed out in the first round, which also happened in 2019 too.
All in all, the team has had some serious problems over the last few years.
Their last two seasons have been downright horrible, with the team winning only 21 or 22 games for the entire year.
However, there is a lot of young talent on the tame, such as Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, and others.
Banchero will now be a part of that youthful squad – but is he the missing piece the team needs to get a lot better?
He was obviously a very impressive college player and as of now he looks like a front runner for next season’s Rookie of the Year.
But now the young man is about to take on his biggest challenge yet.
NEXT: Magic Hoping To Get A Familiar Return At No. 1 Overall