The Orlando Magic are a team that finally seems like they have a clear direction of what they’d like their team to be after taking Paolo Banchero No. 1 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Banchero is coming off a successful first season in the league where he took home Rookie of the Year honors and is now currently helping Team USA make a push for a gold medal in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
The former Duke star has been coming off the bench and providing a scoring punch in his stints.
Known for his ability to score in the midrange and finish near the rim, Banchero’s game translates well to international play.
Playing against some of the world’s best alongside some of the NBA’s brightest young stars is an invaluable experience that will surely help Banchero in his sophomore season.
However, aside from his scoring, he’s also shown some strong defensive awareness as evidenced by a block he had in Team USA’s recent win against Greece in group play via Brett Usher.
Huge CLEAN block by Paolo Banchero! pic.twitter.com/R8O4zy9BzU
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) August 28, 2023
Banchero does well to read the opposing player’s drive and time his jump as he goes up for the layup.
With his size and length, Banchero’s able to easily swat the ball and prevent the easy score in the paint.
Offensively, the young forward will always be able to get his own shot though he can really make an impact at the next level on the defensive end.
Two-way stars are the most valuable commodity in the NBA and hopefully Banchero continues down that path.
NEXT: Team USA Had A Surprising Scoring Leader In World Cup Opener
