Well, that went incredibly well for Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero.
Wednesday night marked his first official game in the NBA and the number one draft pick came to play – and play hard.
The Magic didn’t win their game against the Detroit Pistons but Banchero still made fans very proud.
In the end, he didn’t just have a good night – he had a historic one.
Paolo Banchero was HISTORIC tonight, becoming the first No. 1 overall pick to drop 20+ PTS, 5+ REB, and 5+ AST in their NBA debut since LeBron James in 2003! pic.twitter.com/RrQwbl5h7r
— NBA (@NBA) October 20, 2022
Banchero posted 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists in the 113-109 loss to Detroit.
This made Banchero the first number one overall pick to put up 20+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in an NBA debut since LeBron James.
People were expecting great things from Banchero but few were expecting a night like this.
The race for Rookie of the Year has begun with a bang and Banchero is ahead of the pack, for now.
Banchero Is Ready To Ball
Being in the same company as James is always a good thing.
Any time a rookie is compared to him, that only raises their profile and generates more interest in them.
But it also comes with its own sort of baggage.
Can Banchero keep up this sort of output all season long?
Since 1969, only two other number-one overall draft picks have scored like Banchero did on Wednesday: James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Even a casual NBA fan knows the sort of pressure that is now building on Banchero’s shoulders.
As great as Banchero was, he wasn’t the only rookie in the game to impress.
Pistons guard Jaden Ivey, the number five overall draft pick, posted 19 points with 4 assists.
This just shows that there are some incredible newcomers in the league now.
Expect big things from Banchero, Ivey, and the rest of the new class in the months ahead.
NEXT: The Magic Brought Out A Fan Favorite On Opening Night