They say Year 3 is when a player with a superstar ceiling truly comes into his own. Paolo Banchero appears to be on schedule.
The Magic’s third-year forward stuffed the stat sheet with 33 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block in his team’s 116-97 opening-night win over the Heat on Wednesday. Banchero was an incredible plus-42 on the floor as Orlando blew the game open with a dominant 39-18 third quarter. When the Heat tried to mount a comeback in the fourth, the Magic’s perimeter defense, led by Jalen Suggs and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, proved too much to handle.
Banchero did not commit a solitary turnover, joining Michael Jordan as the only player to register such a stat line in a season opener.
Banchero also followed in the footsteps of ex-Magic legends Shaquille O’Neal and Tracy McGrady for most points in a season opener. After the game, the 21-year-old recognized the weight of the moment.
Furthermore, Banchero’s plus-42 performance with zero turnovers helped him make a unique bit of NBA history.
For a third-year player, Banchero has been widely praised for his temperament and an uncanny knack for not committing mistakes in high-pressure moments. Even last year, the Duke product committed only 2.9 turnovers per game in Magic’s 46 wins — almost unheard of for a player who attempted 17.6 shots per game through the season.
Banchero’s Magic will next host the Nets on Friday before traveling to the Grizzlies on Saturday for a pair of back-to-back games. As one of the youngest teams in the league, Orlando is built to withstand the grueling 82-game season and possibly make a deep playoff run.
Last season, Banchero led Orlando (47-35) to its best record since the 2010-11 season and to the playoffs for the first time since 2019-20. As such, there are now heightened expectations from the Magic.
