Orlando Magic drops strong 3-words reaction to Paolo Banchero narrative
Fans will always be fans, no matter the sport, and in the age of social media, discourse and narratives in the NBA have become a cottage industry. Still, not every star receives as much recognition online as other stars, and this might be true for Orlando Magic star and Jordan brand athlete Paolo Banchero. On Tuesday, the Magic account on X, formerly Twitter, chimed in to give Banchero his flowers as a legit star when most fans haven’t.
The NBA content account Legion Hoops started the discourse by asking, “Name an NBA player that doesn’t get enough recognition. I’ll start: Paolo Banchero.” In response, the Magic’s official account replied, “Yes I agree.”
Paolo Banchero has become a cornerstone for a rebuilding Magic franchise, which last saw the postseason in 2020, but haven’t won a playoff series in 14 years. While the glory days of Dwight Howard are far behind them now, the Magic may have finally found the next star who could lead them to the promised land.
For instance, the Magic reached the postseason as the fifth seed with a record of 47-35. The inexperienced Magic faced the relatively battle-tested Cleveland Cavaliers, led by Donovan Mitchell, and took them to seven games before eventually losing.
While eliminations always hurt, the fact that they were able to take a conference contender to the limit should bode well for the future of the franchise. Likewise, that series saw the ascension of Paolo Banchero, who averaged 27.0 points and 8.6 rebounds in his first playoff series. He also shot splits of 45.6% from the field and 40.4% from three on 5.7 attempts.
As the Magic star continues his rise, he has also made the most of his opportunities off the court. Recently, Jordan brand released a new logo for Paolo Banchero, celebrating his entry as a member of the Jordan group, joining Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, and Zion Williamson.
Moreover, on the court, the Magic has done well by him so far. Their young core of Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs will only get better with more experience and playoff reps. They have such terrific upside that Paul Pierce thinks they can trouble the Celtics the most among the younger Eastern playoff teams.
In the offseason, the Magic also signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a three-year, $66-million deal. The team hopes the two-time NBA champion’s pedigree and experience will rub off on the young Magic players, though of course KCP’s two-way abilities will also help them stack up wins in a relatively weaker conference.
Now, the Magic will have to test their progress against contenders like the Philadelphia 76ers with Paul George or the New York Knicks with Mikal Bridges. Fans wonder whether Banchero can show he has taken the leap as a star in the NBA by going to battle with the best teams.
